Lewis Hamilton in Mexico: “Ferrari have the advantage? That’s simply not true”

A quick survey in the paddock at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico reveals: Ferrari’s rivals suspect the team has an advantage in the thin air of Mexico City – because the smaller turbocharger revs up faster than those on other power units, meaning the engine responds more instantly to the throttle than its rivals’.

However, according to Lewis Hamilton, that’s not the case at all. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion says on this subject: “I don’t agree with what’s being said about our turbo. If you look at the top speeds of Mercedes and Red Bull Racing, they’re still enormous – across the entire straight, as in every race, and especially at the end of the straight.” (When the supply of electrical energy comes into play. M.B.)

“We’ve got a fast car here, but I don’t think the turbo is making the difference. Quite the opposite – we’re still losing time to the competition on the straights; depending on the circuit, we’re talking about two to three tenths of a second per lap.”

Hamilton is optimistic about qualifying: “The car is sitting up well; now the question will be whether we can step it up at the crucial moment. Recently, it’s often been the case that we’ve been strong in free practice and also at the start of qualifying, but then the others have stepped up their performance and we’ve just missed out on pole. I’m keen to see how things pan out today.”

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Mexico City: Rennen Re-Live

FIA Formula One World Championship

01.11.2026 - 23:15