Leclerc eyes Hamilton's first lap advantage ahead of Mexico GP start

Charles Leclerc said he would prefer to start the Mexico GP from teammate Lewis Hamilton’s P3 grid slot.

Leclerc qualified P2 and will start on the front row alongside Lando Norris in pole position.

With a long 830m run down to turn one at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, drivers starting on the front row are vulnerable at the start.

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Strong slipstream effect expected on lap 1

Speaking to F1TV Leclerc said: “The run to turn 1 is very long and we’ve got to do the best possible start.

“I wish I was P3 for the start because at least you have a little bit of a slipstream. I probably won’t have any slipstream in front of me and [I’m] starting on the dirty side of the track.

“But I will focus on what I can control and try to do my best from where we start, which hopefully will be enough to take the lead into turn one.”

Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren celebrates his pole position in qualifying parc ferme with second placed Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari - Photo: Race Pictures

In the last five Mexico GP, the driver starting on pole position has won the race on only two occasions.

The driver starting P3 has also won twice in the last five years.

Hamilton won from P4 in 2019, meaning that in none of the last five Mexico GP has the driver starting in P2 gone on to win the race.

Leclerc will be hoping to put an end to this record as Ferrari look to end a winless run that dates back to the Mexico GP in 2024.

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