Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) is flabbergasted: “We’re favourites? Who says that?”

Charles Leclerc is aiming to secure his second win of the season in Mexico (following his victory in Great Britain in 2026). He stood on the podium for the sixth time this year in Texas, and the Monegasque driver has fared rather well in Mexico – securing pole position in 2019 and 2023. In 2025, he finished second at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez behind Lando Norris.

The nine-time Grand Prix winner is in an attacking mood: “We’ve made further progress with the latest improvements, and I’m determined to win at least once more before the end of the season.”

In Texas, Ferrari had the fastest car for much of the weekend, “but it remains tricky to get the car into the sweet spot, and that’s mainly down to the tyres,” says Leclerc.

In the paddock at the historic Mexican circuit, the soon-to-be dad (his wife Alexandra is heavily pregnant) adds: “We’re on a good run at the moment. We were quick in Singapore, we were quick in Austin.”

Some people in the paddock believe Ferrari are the favourites for Mexico. Charles laughs: “Who says that? No, I don’t think we’re the favourites here. For me, Mercedes are generally the favourites everywhere, and Red Bull Racing have been very strong recently.”

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“We can only live up to the role of favourites if we maximise everything, and we haven’t managed to do that in many races.”

“Here, too, the difference will be between a chance of victory, a place on the podium and finishing well down the field – we need to put in a perfect weekend and get the car into its best operating window; then it might work out.”

“It was evident in Texas too: we have a fast car, but it’s extremely sensitive – to even the slightest changes in track temperature, for example. Then you fall out of that optimal operating window in the blink of an eye.”

How important is it for Charles to finish second in the Drivers’ Championship? The Monegasque replies: “Ultimately, we’re all chasing the big goal and want to become World Champion. So it doesn’t really matter how the championship ends, but I also think – second place is simply better than third, and third place is better than fourth. But that’s not my main focus. What’s important to me is that we’re as efficient as possible in the final part of the season and that we’re stronger in 2027.”

“I also want to help ensure we finish the season on a high, because that’s really important for the morale of the whole team.”