Charles Leclerc says he’s “angry with myself” after taking P3 at Mexico City Qualifying behind Hamilton

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Charles Leclerc will line up third for the Mexico Grand Prix after qualifying ended with Lewis Hamilton taking pole in Mexico City and the Ferrari driver finishing behind his team mate. Leclerc said his frustration was directed inward, insisting he “can only be angry with myself” after another qualifying session in which he felt the conditions and execution did not come together the way he needed.

Leclerc, who set the tone across the weekend after being quickest in Friday practice, carried his form into qualifying. He moved through the three qualifying segments to reach Q3, with the session marked by a recurring theme: the difficulty of bringing tyres into the correct performance window for the lap. While Leclerc noted he beat Hamilton in the second Q3 run, he acknowledged that he did not deliver the job when it counted most.

“I just didn't do a good enough job,” Leclerc said. He explained that tyre preparation was “quite key” and that he “struggled to have the same conditions for my out lap throughout the qualifying.” He added that when he had a clean out lap in Q3 “run two,” he still “didn’t do the job,” concluding that the outcome was therefore his responsibility.

Despite missing pole, Leclerc framed the weekend’s larger picture positively for Ferrari. He pointed to the SF-26’s characteristics at altitude and said the car has proven “well suited” to Mexico’s challenges. “I think we've got a very strong car in the corners,” Leclerc said, while also noting a trade-off on the straights due to less power and “probably a bit more drag.”

Leclerc also linked Ferrari’s qualifying performance to wider confidence building during the season. “On paper, normally this year, we never really performed as we expected on the tracks we expected to be good. But this weekend has been the case,” he said, describing it as a positive sign heading into Sunday’s race.

The Mexico start adds another layer of complexity for drivers aiming to convert track position into an advantage. With a long run down to Turn 1, Leclerc emphasized that pole is “not always optimum,” while also acknowledging the potential benefit of a tow from the cars ahead—specifically referencing the position of Hamilton and George Russell. “I'll keep my head down as much as possible and see what's possible,” Leclerc said, while describing Turn 1 as “always an exciting” moment.

Looking ahead to race conditions, Leclerc expressed confidence in Ferrari’s race pace while tempering expectations about overtaking. He said the car “feels good” and that it has been that way “since FP1,” leading him to believe Ferrari should have the pace for the distance. However, he argued that overtakes may be limited: “I doubt there will be any overtakes tomorrow,” he said, pointing to how effectiveness of the overtake mode is constrained, and to the difficulty of passing after early turns.

Leclerc indicated that his attempts to understand passing opportunities had already been tested during practice, suggesting the challenge is likely to persist. “I've tried more in FP2, and it's just very difficult because the overtake mode doesn't do much,” he said. He added that whatever the order looks like after Turn 3, it will be “very difficult then to overtake,” underscoring why he felt unable to secure the qualifying result he wanted.

For Leclerc, the key question for Sunday becomes whether Ferrari can convert a strong package into track position despite the circuit’s passing constraints. His comments suggest Ferrari expects competitiveness through the corners, but also highlights how small qualifying execution issues—particularly tyre preparation—can determine the grid outcome on a weekend where the SF-26 has otherwise looked promising.

The Mexico Grand Prix will begin with Leclerc seeking the best possible start and early positioning from P3, with Hamilton’s pole-setting lap underscoring the fine margins that separated the two Ferrari drivers in qualifying.