Oct.30 (GMM) Ferrari is being tipped as a potential favourite in Mexico because its smaller turbo could prove an advantage at the circuit’s extreme altitude.
George Russell said the new-generation power units face an unusual challenge this weekend.
“I think turbo lag is going to be a big factor for a lot of teams,” he said on Thursday.
“There’s obviously no secret that the likes of Ferrari have a smaller turbo than most, so they probably have quite an advantage in this regard.”
Charles Leclerc, however, played down the favourite tag.
“Whether we are the favourites for this weekend, I don’t fully agree,” said the Ferrari driver.
“I think Mercedes remain the favourites wherever we go. Red Bull are very, very strong as well recently.”
Lewis Hamilton said Ferrari’s remaining races will increasingly be used to test ideas for 2027, while again identifying the engine as a key weakness.
“We need to maintain the chassis’ strengths, which are excellent, and make sure we have a competitive engine because if we had, we would have been fighting for first place,” he said.
“We lose too much on the straights.”
Honda’s Shintaro Orihara, meanwhile, expects the altitude challenge to affect every manufacturer.
“I think power issues won’t just affect Honda, but other manufacturers as well,” he said.
“We may need to limit engine performance – that’s the worst-case scenario.”