In Mexico, Ferrari’s weekend was perfect. In fact, it was almost perfect, as the double podium was marred only in the final laps of the race. But this does not change the high-level final result: a double podium, Sainz’s victory, and a pass in the standings over the current world champions, Red Bull.

Carlos Sainz’s Victory, But Not Only: Here’s the Ferrari Vlog
In Mexico, the culture provides the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable victory for the Maranello team. Indeed, Charles Leclerc, at the beginning of the video, is seen playing a traditional Mexican instrument.

The Monegasque driver is playing a Mexican guitar or vihuela. This instrument is typical of mariachi music. The vihuela has a rounded body and usually five strings, and it is often used to accompany traditional Mexican songs. But Charles Leclerc seems to have quickly adapted to the five strings…

Carlos Sainz has also adapted to the pranks from the Ferrari mechanics. While the Spaniard is in the car, one of his mechanics hides his shoes, which have been tied together. This isn’t the first time it has happened, and often Charles Leclerc is the designated victim of the shoe prank.

In short, a vlog full of fun but also very joyful moments. Oliver Bearman on track during FP1, Carlos Sainz’s pole position, leading up to the post-victory celebration with a completely unexpected guest… that Zak Brown, a rival but always a friend.

Source: f1ingenerale

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The Spanish driver delivered a performance worthy of a true matador on the track named after the Rodríguez brothers. A pole position earned with more than two-tenths advantage over Verstappen. The lead in the race was initially lost at the start, then regained with a masterpiece overtaking, and ultimately led the race in solitude.

The Ferrari driver desperately wanted this success, perhaps his last with the Maranello team. The Spaniard will indeed say goodbye in four races to join Williams, not without a sense of melancholy.

The joy of the father
The happiness for Carlos’s victory in Mexico can also be seen in the words of Sainz Sr., who spoke to F1 microphones after the race.

“I’m very happy with the weekend,” explained the four-time Dakar winner. “Not only in the race; he was strong in qualifying too. I think he was a bit unlucky in Austin, but he was really fast there. I’m really very happy for these last two races. An interesting end to the championship is shaping up. I know that when he is confident, he can be super fast. Now he is probably very confident, or more confident, with the car. This is giving him the chance to push close to the limit.” – he added.

Another victory
Carlos Sainz Jr. had repeatedly expressed his desire for one last victory with Ferrari before saying goodbye. Now that he has achieved this goal, Carlos Sainz Sr. already knows what the next one will be.

“You’ll have to ask him, but I probably already know the answer: he would like to win another race! But I’m sure he will first try to enjoy this one.”

Carlos Sainz had already predicted where he could win, and he guessed the first track. Could this be a good omen for the next one? Maybe even in Brazil next weekend.

Source: f1ingenerale

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— see video above —

The post Video: Ferrari focused on controlling temperatures and improving front-end performance in Mexico appeared first on Scuderia Fans.

In Mexico, Ferrari was the absolute protagonist with Carlos Sainz, but unlike in the United States Grand Prix at the Austin circuit, it failed to achieve a 1-2 finish.

Charles Leclerc finished the race in third place, losing out to Lando Norris at the end. However, the Monegasque’s race was affected by a problem and a mistake: which one, in particular, prevented him from finishing second? Let’s see what the telemetry data reveals.

The mistake makes little difference, the problem instead…
To say that the significant error made by Charles Leclerc on lap 62 did not change the outcome of the race seems heretical, but it is exactly so.

Lando Norris’s McLaren had a significantly faster race pace, and frankly, the overtake was only a matter of time.

On the other hand, the problem of high temperatures with the car—caused by the 2,200 meters altitude of the Mexican circuit—was impactful: for a total of 13 laps (from the 18th to the 30th), Charles was on average 5 tenths of a second slower than Carlos Sainz; an eternity in Formula 1.

The race pace trend of Leclerc (white line) and Sainz (red line). Source: formula1.it

To demonstrate the great lift and coast technique (a technique where the throttle is released just before braking, rather than simultaneously at the start of it) used by Charles Leclerc, we present another graph.

In the two trends, the throttle input is shown at the top, while the brake input is at the bottom. In the yellow rectangle overlay, it is clearly noticeable how Charles (white line) releases the throttle earlier than Carlos Sainz (white line), even though they brake at the exact same point.

Source: formula1.it

Ferrari too conservative?
Ferrari’s team principal, Frédéric Vasseur, revealed after the Mexican Grand Prix that the Maranello team adopted a conservative strategy with car number 16, solely to avoid a retirement due to reliability issues.

In hindsight, which is always a factor to consider, the Maranello team was too “scared” by some signs of abnormal temperatures, thereby allowing Lando Norris to stay in contention for second place until the end. Probably, by implementing a slightly more aggressive plan, truly “race animals,” the result would have changed.

In short, the fear of the Ferrari finishing the race with only one car crossing the line prevailed over the possibility of achieving a second consecutive 1-2 finish.

With “ifs” and “buts,” nothing can be achieved, but a spontaneous question arises: will this conservative choice be decisive for the Constructors’ Championship? The future will tell.

The post Charles Leclerc, problem or mistake? Here’s what prevented a Ferrari 1-2: telemetry analysis appeared first on Scuderia Fans.

Ferrari significantly boosts TV viewership. In a press release from Sky, the impressive results from the Mexican Grand Prix weekend are celebrated. Not only did the thrilling football match between Inter and Juventus draw an average of 1,937,000 viewers and 2,655,000 unique viewers, with an 11.5% TV share, but the victory of the Prancing Horse performed even better.

While the average viewership figure is slightly lower (1,732,000 overall), unique viewers reached 2,685,000 and a 7.8% TV share, making it the most-watched race since the 2022 Hungarian GP and the best-ever Mexico GP on Sky. It is worth noting, however, that these figures do not include views from events via Sky Go.

Ferrari (and the spectacle) is good for F1

This is a major success for Sky and for Formula 1 itself: after a nightmarish 2023 that dramatically slowed the sport’s development due to Red Bull’s dominance, 2024 opens the door to more competitive and exciting scenarios. This is what fans have always wanted: on-track battles and championships not decided at the first corner.

Judging by the trend of recent GPs, the season finale is likely to build towards a thrilling conclusion. Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc are in contention for the Drivers’ title, while Ferrari is finally back and can aim for the Constructors’ Championship.

Source: f1ingenerale

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Charles Leclerc also gave his best. The Monegasque could have undoubtedly done more, but the weekend did not start well, and throughout the three days on track, he never fully found the right feeling with his SF24 car. He finished third, which is good enough, as Ferrari overtakes Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship and closes in on McLaren, which is no longer so far ahead. We are talking about a 29-point gap, which, with four races remaining and two Sprint Races, is no longer just a dream. The Prancing Horse optimized its performance in the Mexican Grand Prix, which is exactly what it wanted to achieve. Chapeau.

At the start, the entire front group chose the medium tire. The fastest strategy, according to simulations, was to start on this compound and then switch to the Hard. The Soft was ruled out, as it was expected to create too many temperature management issues and make a one-stop strategy harder. The race opened with a Turn 1 incident that brought out a Safety Car, to which no one reacted. As mentioned earlier, the main strategy was a single stop, so they aimed to extend the first stint. Therefore, pitting immediately would have offered no advantage.

Carlos Sainz lost his position to Max Verstappen at the start, but Ferrari’s superior straight-line speed made the difference, and the Spaniard quickly regained the lead at the first corner braking zone. On Saturday, we saw Ferrari dominate all the straight sections of the track. After passing the Dutchman and Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc followed his Maranello teammate and focused on building a safe gap with him. The team radio messages confirmed that both drivers were pushing to the maximum in this phase, with Charles Leclerc instructed to manage his tires better in high-speed corners.

Throughout the Mexican weekend, Ferrari opted to use a lower downforce wing. They started with the Monaco specification, then switched to the medium-high downforce Barcelona specification. The Maranello technicians and engineers sacrificed some downforce, considering that average speeds in sector 2 would drop during the race, requiring less load. However, they needed to manage tire wear in the second sector to avoid excessive sliding. Around lap 22, Charles Leclerc was instructed to cool his tire surface, but the Monegasque driver replied that he could not do it at that moment, while Carlos Sainz was managing better.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris was informed that the race was following Plan A—one stop, extending the first stint as much as possible. He was reassured that his tire wear was in line with Ferrari’s, and he was also told that tire graining was less than anticipated. McLaren’s focus was on competing with Ferrari, even with Max Verstappen in between them. Since the Red Bull driver had a 10-second penalty, an immediate overtake was not necessary.

Max Verstappen’s medium tires, however, were more worn. The world champion was struggling significantly, and his team decided to pit him, especially as he received a second 10-second penalty. This gave Lando Norris clear air to push, with Charles Leclerc maintaining a 6.5-second lead. The two Ferrari drivers were repeatedly instructed to continue “lifting and coasting” to extend tire life. However, they paid little attention to the pit wall, suspecting their teammate wasn’t following the same orders.

At this point, Lando Norris reported that his front-left tire was done, so he was called to the pits on lap 30, as could be seen by analyzing the telemetry data after the race. Charles Leclerc followed on lap 32 to switch to Hards. The Monegasque driver was brought in first, but there was no risk of an undercut on his Maranello teammate, as there was a nine-second gap between them. Shortly after, it was Carlos Sainz’s turn, who initially wanted to extend his stint by two laps. Nevertheless, he switched to the white-banded Pirellis and rejoined without losing the gap he had on Charles Leclerc.

In the first laps of the second stint on Hards, Max Verstappen complained of braking grip issues, which his teammate also pointed out as their main limitation. The situation didn’t improve as the stint continued. Carlos Sainz could ease into the tires and reach times under 21.0 within about five laps. On the other hand, Charles Leclerc didn’t have this chance, as Lando Norris pushed hard immediately. By stopping early, the British driver gained approximately three seconds on the Ferrari driver, with both drivers reaching sub-21.0 attack times.

Charles Leclerc was told to drop the lift and coast and start pushing harder. As a result, Carlos Sainz was also allowed to increase his pace, raising his minimum speed in fast corners. The Spaniard was informed that a faster pace in Sector 2 would also improve tire performance. Degradation reduces the flexible portion of the tire, requiring more time to warm it up. This is an issue primarily affecting the front axle and applies across the grid.

Overall, Ferrari had a slower pace on the Hard compound than McLaren, particularly with Charles Leclerc, who needed a slower introduction. Lando Norris applied significant pressure on him in the final stages of the Mexican Grand Prix, forcing a mistake. At that point, Charles Leclerc’s only option was to pit for the fastest lap, taking advantage of the free stop. Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, just had to manage his lead over Lando to the finish line. McLaren unfortunately gained significantly on the harder tires, and without Max Verstappen’s hold-up in the first stint, they had the pace to win and beat Ferrari.

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After his victory in the Mexican Grand Prix at the 4.304-kilometre Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Carlos Sainz shed light on the engine issues he experienced. The Spaniard dominated his competitors in the second round of the American triple-header, claiming an authoritative win. This was yet another confirmation of his driving skill, ahead of his anticipated move to join James Vowles at Williams.

Formula 1 now leaves Mexico and heads south to the twists and turns of Interlagos. The final leg of the American triple-header will also be the most challenging for Ferrari, on a circuit that should favor McLaren. Winning in Mexico City was crucial to keeping hope alive for the Constructors’ title, and the Ferrari duo was prepared: a double podium, with Carlos Sainz winning and surpassing Red Bull.

It was an exciting race, in which the Spaniard first secured the lead with a spectacular pass on Max Verstappen and then managed his position masterfully. Only one minor scare marred the Spaniard’s afternoon: a misfire from the Ferrari engine that, with a third of the race remaining, threatened a disastrous outcome.

Ferrari, Carlos Sainz Explains the Engine Issues
“I felt that this weekend would be a great opportunity to win the race,” said Carlos Sainz. “I was determined to win and focused on that goal the entire weekend. My family, my best friend, my girlfriend—many people were here to support me, and I thought that maybe my last win with Ferrari could come in front of them all.” – the Spaniard pointed out at the end of the Mexico City Grand Prix – “The only mistake I made was at the exit of Turn 3, hitting a curb. I short-shifted and experienced a misfire in the engine, which scared me a bit. But we had these issues throughout the weekend, and we know they were due to altitude and mapping. Once I was in the lead, I trusted my pace and management. I knew the win was possible.” – the Ferrari driver concluded.

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The Mexico GP was anything but lacking in excitement. Numerous incidents, several penalties, and above all, a remarkable show of strength from Ferrari, particularly from Carlos Sainz, who after losing position to Max Verstappen at the start, reclaimed it with determination on lap nine, maintaining the lead until his 71st lap.

Strategy Recap
What impact did the strategies have on the final outcome of the race? Before discovering that, let’s do a quick recap. Once again, the race unfolded as expected. Most drivers avoided using the Soft tires, with only those aiming for the fastest lap at the end relying on the C5.

Given the tire degradation, the most common strategy was a single stop from Medium C4 to Hard C3. This approach was chosen by the drivers who finished in the Top 11, including winner Sainz, Norris, Hamilton, Russell, Verstappen, Magnussen, Piastri, Hulkenberg, Gasly, and Stroll. The exception was Leclerc, who would have finished on this strategy if he hadn’t opted to fit the Soft C5 for the final lap to achieve the fastest lap in 1:18.336.

On a Hard-Medium strategy, we had Colapinto, Ocon, Bottas, and Zhou. Lawson went for Hard-Medium-Soft, needing to pit a few laps from the end to repair a damaged front wing after a collision with Franco Colapinto (the Williams driver was later penalized 10 seconds for this). Meanwhile, Perez finished his troubled home GP with a three-stop strategy of Hard-Medium-Medium-Soft, pitting at the end of the race in an attempt to snatch an additional point from Leclerc. However, he failed; the damage suffered by the Mexican following his collision with Lawson around lap 18 was too significant. Sergio stopped nearly a second behind Charles’s time: 1:19.209 (his race was further affected by the initial 5-second penalty for being mispositioned on the starting grid).

Now, diving into the crucial action, there are two themes we will analyze. While it would be interesting to discuss the penalties given to Max Verstappen, we want to focus more on the factors that influenced Sainz’s victory and how Norris prevented Leclerc from achieving what could have been Ferrari’s second consecutive double podium.

Carlos Sainz Should Thank Verstappen for His Victory
If Carlos has one merit, it’s that he managed to take the lead in the GP after a clean and fierce battle with Max Verstappen during the ninth lap, just after the Safety Car returned to the pits (called out due to the incident involving Albon and Tsunoda). After that, Carlos Sainz was able to set his pace, taking advantage of the duel between Max and Lando, which also allowed Leclerc to move up from P4 to P2. The two Ferraris had the best pace on Medium tires, as evidenced when Verstappen pitted on lap 27, with Sainz building a 6-second lead over Leclerc and 12.5 seconds over Norris.

However, Lando, unable to overtake the Dutchman until that point, could not show his true pace, which was a great stroke of luck for the Spaniard. Once Max served his 20-second penalty (a sum of penalties for how he defended against Norris’s attacks), Lando had clear air and could finally demonstrate his potential. On the Hard tires, the McLaren was undoubtedly the fastest car, enabling the number 4 car to not only catch and pass Leclerc but also finish in second place just 4.7 seconds behind Sainz. The British driver recovered 8 seconds on that tire strategy, while Carlos was not always managing his pace.

Charles Leclerc Came Close This Time
Charles’s error could have cost the team dearly. That off-track moment that allowed Norris to take P2 effortlessly was perhaps the only blemish of the race. What led to it? Charles Leclerc was undoubtedly frustrated and demoralized. Sainz showed he had more pace throughout the weekend. Charles attempted to keep up with the Spaniard in the first and second stints but was unable to, constantly being reminded by the team about managing his operating temperatures. When Norris decided to take things seriously in the second stint, Leclerc realized it would be very difficult to resist him.

With Charles Leclerc constantly balancing between pushing and managing temperatures, McLaren was closing in, and when the lapped drivers he encountered also started blocking him, the Monegasque lost his composure. The mistake made in the last corner of lap 62 fortunately only led to an easy pass by Norris, but it could have ended much worse. It was close to Charles crashing into the wall and ruining the weekend for the Maranello team. Charles Leclerc’s strength lies in being highly self-critical, so he will know exactly what to avoid in the future.

In his defense, we can say that the lapped drivers behaved in a manner that was truly difficult to decipher. They blocked the Ferrari cars and then quickly let others through. They certainly didn’t do it on purpose, but this at least makes Charles Leclerc’s state of mind understandable.

In terms of strategy, the race was quite straightforward. The Mexican GP was mainly about managing tires, temperatures, and fuel. Carlos Sainz was the best at it, but if Lando Norris had managed to overtake Max Verstappen in the early stages of the race, we might have witnessed a different finish.

Special mention goes to Oscar Piastri, who managed to score points starting from the back with a Medium-Hard strategy, to the Haas team for achieving another double points finish, and to Pierre Gasly, who returned the Alpine to the top 10 after four races without points.

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Ferrari secured its second consecutive victory after winning in the United States Grand Prix at the Austin circuit, finishing first at the Mexico City Grand Prix with Carlos Sainz, but the chance for a second double win evaporated just a few laps from the end due to an error made by Charles Leclerc as he exited the final corner.

The Monegasque lost control of the rear end, going off track and allowing a charging Lando Norris to pass him at the beginning of the straight. From that moment on, Charles Leclerc focused solely on bringing his SF-24 to the finish line, contributing to recovering points against McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship.

The final result indicated that Lando Norris was faster than the Monegasque driver in the last stint on hard tires, but Frédéric Vasseur, Ferrari’s team principal, explained what led Charles Leclerc to lose all the advantage he had over the McLaren rival before making the decisive mistake at the last corner.

According to the French manager, the lapped drivers in front of Charles (particularly Lance Stroll, though he was never explicitly named) took too long to respect the blue flags properly displayed by the track marshals and let the Ferrari driver pass. This led to a loss of tire temperature in the SF-24, which proved crucial in the lost battle against Lando Norris just a few kilometers later.

Frederic Vasseur pointed fingers at Franco Colapinto, Liam Lawson, and Lance Stroll for ignoring blue flags, which ultimately proved costly for the Maranello team: “[Leclerc] lost three or four seconds into the traffic with some idiots,” the French manager explained in an interview for Sky Sports F1 at the end of the Mexican Grand Prix – “That Norris was ultimately faster than Leclerc is an analysis made by others, and I do not agree. Norris came back, Charles pushed a bit too much. Perhaps he lost also a little bit of temperature in the tyres when he was with these guys. Honestly, they have to respect the blue flag and I don’t understand why the FIA didn’t give them a penalty. We had four seconds on Norris. And after the three guys, we were 1.2 or 1.3 ahead.”

During his post-race discussion with select media, the Ferrari team principal elaborated on his thoughts: “Charles was not happy [Saturday] with P3 or P4, but still today he did a good race. I’m a bit upset with the story with the blue flag, it cost us P2. But at the end of the day, it is like it is, but we have to be focused now on the next one and forget this one. When you do five corners when the guy has a solid blue, it’s not unfortunate. It’s a mistake of the guy.” – the French manager pointed out.

In summary, without the behavior deemed incorrect by the lapped drivers, Charles Leclerc would have had the opportunity to give Ferrari a second consecutive one-two finish, this time at the 4.304-kilometre Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, although McLaren showed slightly better pace on the hard tires in the last stint.

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— see video above —

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