Leclerc pleased with "quite competitive" Ferrari in Mexico

Charles Leclerc says that he is pleased with Ferrari's Friday running and expects the team to be competitive once again as they look to return to their from from a few races ago. Ferrari won three in a row following the summer break, but Mercedes hit back in Russia and Japan despite Ferrari being the faster car and taking pole positions at both.

Leclerc was second and third in FP1 and FP2 respectively on Friday as Ferrari looked to be quickest in Mexico, but there is plenty of time left before raceday, including the important qualifying session on Saturday evening at 7pm (UK time).

The Monegasque said: “It was a positive Friday for us as a team. Our qualifying performance was good and the car looks quite competitive here.

"For me, FP1 was good while FP2 turned out to be more tricky. I struggled a bit with the car balance and there are still some improvements I want to make in my driving. In general, the grip is rather poor on this track because we find ourselves at such a high altitude and the downforce is not as efficient as it is at other tracks.

"To win this race, you have to get a good start and keep the lead well into turn 1. Being behind someone is a disadvantage here because of the cooling issues everyone faces, so having a strong qualifying result will be a key factor.

"Our competitors are strong and we will see where we really stand tomorrow, but we are confident of our potential and ready to give it our all once again.”