George Russell claims Ferrari has a major advantage at Mexico GP
George Russell has outlined where he thinks Ferrari could hold an advantage in Mexico City.
George Russell believes Ferrari could have a major advantage over its Formula 1 rivals at this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver has pinpointed Ferrari’s smaller turbo as giving it “quite an advantage” at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit, which uniquely sits more than 2200 metres above sea level.
F1 power units are directly impacted by the altitude and thin air, which puts extra strain on the turbochargers, while the aerodynamic devices on the cars offer far lower levels of downforce.
Russell thinks this factor could make Ferrari a force to be reckoned with Mexico City.
"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 said.
“There’s obviously no secret, 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 be, but can definitely foresee it being not straightforward.”
However, Charles Leclerc was quick to dismiss any notion that Ferrari are favourites heading into the weekend.
"It's getting very close and we have good momentum with Singapore and Austin,” the Monegasque said.
"We have maximised our potential and I was relatively happy with the pace we've shown. Whether we are the favourites this weekend, I don't fully agree, I think Mercedes remain the favourites wherever we go.
"I think Red Bull are very strong recently, but if we maximise everything we have, then I hope it can be a great weekend for us.
"And as we've seen, I think the optimisation of our package is what eventually will make most difference.
“It's so difficult to put everything in the right window coming into Qualifying that if we manage to do so, then I think we've got a chance here, but for that we've got to be perfect.”
Ferrari has won just two races this season, with Lewis Hamilton claiming a memorable first victory in Barcelona, before Leclerc triumphed at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Hamilton has maintained throughout the season that Ferrari is losing out on the straights compared to its rivals.
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