Mercedes driver George Russell reckons Ferrari has "quite an advantage" at F1's Mexican Grand Prix with its turbo design, while Charles Leclerc still believes Mercedes has the best car "wherever we go".
Mexico's capital megalopolis sits on a 2250m plateau, which gives the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez one of the most unique engineering challenges. The lower-density air reduces aerodynamic performance and has major cooling headaches, but it may also reward Ferrari for some of the design decisions it made with its 2026 power unit.
Boasting a smaller diameter turbocharger compared to its rivals, the turbo's lower inertia allows it to spool up quicker, which has a compound effect when the air is much thinner at altitude and there is less exhaust energy available to begin with. The trade-off is a limit on peak horsepower compared to larger diameter turbines.
"I think it's going to be very interesting. I think turbo lag is going to be a big factor for a lot of teams this weekend," Russell pointed out. "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. We're not sure as yet how challenging it will ...