Hard tyre proves costly for Ferrari's Leclerc in Mexico
Despite Charles Leclerc qualifying in pole, Ferrari left Mexico frustrated as their decision to run hard tyres in the second stint saw him fall backwards, eventually finishing third behind the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton.
Ferrari's strong qualifying form failed to fully translate into race day success at the Mexico City Grand Prix, as per the assessment of team principal Fred Vasseur.
Charles Leclerc, who started on pole, eventually finished third while Carlos Sainz came home fourth.
Leclerc had shown promising pace in the opening stint on medium tyres despite front wing damage sustained from early contact with Sergio Perez.
Vasseur felt those initial laps were solid, with Leclerc only three or four tenths off Verstappen's lead despite the compromised aerodynamics.
Too conservative with strategy
However, Ferrari's decision to switch Leclerc to hard tyres during the red flag proved costly.
Unlike rivals Lewis Hamilton and George Russell who opted for mediums, Leclerc struggled to get heat into the hards when the race restarted.
He was rapidly overtaken by the Mercedes of Hamilton, who made full use of his grippier rubber.
Leclerc had no answer and continued sliding backwards. Vasseur admitted they were "never able to restart the tyres" on the hard compound.
Ferrari had gambled on running a long second stint to the finish on hards, but quickly realized the tyres were not viable.
With Verstappen also on hards, Vasseur said switching Leclerc to mediums during the red flag stoppage could have allowed him to challenge for the lead off the line.
However, with only scrubbed mediums available, combined with concerns over completing the remaining 35 laps, led Ferrari to retain the hards.
In the end, Leclerc settled for the final podium spot while Sainz likewise struggled for pace in fourth.
Bitter sweet result
Vasseur was satisfied with Ferrari's qualifying form, noting they had taken pole in four of the last six races.
However, he acknowledged they must find more race consistency and reduce the discrepancy between sessions.
The hard tyre simply did not work in the high-altitude conditions of Mexico City.
Still, Vasseur maintained third and fourth was a decent result and proof of overall progress.
With two races remaining, Ferrari will be aiming to unlock enhanced race day speed to match their Saturday qualifying prowess.
Strong results in Brazil and Abu Dhabi will help them fight for second in the constructors' standings ahead of a 2024 season.
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