Some data from Ruth:
Leclerc: Clean Early, Classic Ferrari Efficiency
Ferrari’s low-drag philosophy shone on the straights — exactly where it needed to in Mexico’s thin air.
Straight-line advantage:
•Top speed: ~345 km/h, about 4 km/h faster than Norris.
•Time gain: ≈ 0.08 s on the main straight before Turn 1.
•Retained that edge on the run to Turn 4 thanks to the SF-25’s efficient aero and punchy PU.
Sector summary:
•Up to Turn 10, the gap hovered within one-tenth.
•Ferrari’s low-drag setup worked beautifully — fast on the straights, stable under braking, but a touch light in rotation zones.
Norris: The Decider in the Stadium
From Turn 10 onward, the lap swung orange — pure commitment through the technical finale.
Time gain:
•Gained ~0.14 s from Turns 13–16 alone.
•Carried 2–3 km/h more minimum speed through the direction changes.
•Earlier throttle and cleaner traction out of Turn 16 sealed it.
Why it mattered:
Better rotation, rear stability, and traction management meant Norris could attack where the Ferrari began to slide — converting downforce into lap time.
Oscar Piastri: On the Edge
Oscar’s lap had flashes of pace but lacked balance:
•Turn 3 — understeer on entry, costing front-end bite.
•Turn 10 — rear-end snap limiting throttle pickup.
Those two moments alone cost roughly 0.15 s versus Norris. Expect a slight brake-migration tweak and rear-wing trim for race day.
Verstappen: The Setup Reset
After reverting to a higher-downforce rear wing post-P3,
Max Verstappen traded top speed for stability:
•Quali top-end ≈ 342 km/h (a few km/h down on Ferrari).
•Much improved traction and tyre load through the esses.
Built clearly for Sunday performance, not Saturday headlines.
Turn 1: The 830 m Drag Race
It’s the longest run to Turn 1 of the season — 830 metres of pure slipstream chaos.
Lewis Hamilton starts P3, perfectly placed to pounce if the front row fights.
Remember 2021? Max went three-wide into Turn 1 with both Mercedes, braking 12 metres later and sweeping the outside. That’s what 830 metres of thin-air drag-race can do.
Pole is only half the job — survival through Turn 1 is the other half.
Leclerc: Clean Early, Classic Ferrari Efficiency
Straight-line advantage:
Sector summary:
Norris: The Decider in the Stadium
Why it mattered:
Verstappen: The Setup Reset
Turn 1: The 830 m Drag Race
Lewis Hamilton starts P3, perfectly placed to pounce if the front row fights. 
Remember 2021? Max went three-wide into Turn 1 with both Mercedes, braking 12 metres later and sweeping the outside. That’s what 830 metres of thin-air drag-race can do.