After a disappointing performance in qualifying, Ferrari failed to mount a fightback on Sunday, with 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Carlos Sainz finishing nearly a full minute behind winner 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen in fifth, one place ahead of teammate 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Charles Leclerc. 

Ferrari lagged well behind their F1 rivals Red Bull and Mercedes in Mexico, with Sainz ending up nearly 10 seconds adrift of 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:George Russell d📖espite the Mercedes driver making an extra pit stop to claim the fastest lap bonus point.&nbღsp;

Team principal Mattia Binotto admitted Ferrari were “not expecting” to struggle as mu𒅌ch as they did. 

“It has been certainly a very difficult weekend,” he explained. “I think already yesterday in quali, ꦺquite behind the pole position when normally we are quite comp💛etitive. 

“In the race, it simply emphasised the fact we were not com🍨fortable with the track this weekend. Our overall performance has not been great, no doubt, off the pace in the race.

“Iܫn terms of p🌟ower unit, we were not at our best performance for the weekend, but I don't think that that's explaining the most. 

“That’s part of the equatio♏n, but there is more than that. There is ce🦹rtainly more than that, and it's something which we need to look at and there is not a clear answer right now

“The ride was not great, the balance was not great. I'm pretty sure if I'm listening at the drivers later on in the debriefing, they will tell me that the car was not turning and the reason why I think it has to be looke꧒d at and we have not a clear explanation right now.”

Ferrari’s sub-par display led to suspicions in the paddock that the Italian outfit had turned down t🐠heir power units amid reliability concerns at the high-altitude venue. 

Leclerc experienced a “strange”🔜 engine issue on ⛎Saturday, which he blamed for only qualifying seventh on the grid. 

Binotto confirmed Ferrari did not run their engines 🎀at full power in Mexico City. 𝐆;

“It’s true that in terms𝄹 of turbo, we are not as efficient, or, let me say, we didn’t have the capacity to run maximum power her🍒e,” he admitted. 

Is one of Ferrari’s “worst races” a one-off? 

Leclerc, whose weekend started on the back foot with a 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:heavy FP2 crash, said he is hopeful Ferrari’s poor performance will prove to be a one-🌟off after describing it as “one of the worst races” of 2022 along with the Belgian Grand Prix. 

“It was incredibly diffi🎶cult, we were just so slow, so 𝓰yeah, we need to look into it,” Leclerc said. 

“We were in the middle of nowhere. With Carlos, we were way slower compared to the Mercedes and Re♉d Bull, [but] much quicker than the midfield. So we were on our oꦆwn, just a very lonely race.

“There wasn't much w✨e could have done mor♎e to be honest today.”

H༒e continued: “I hope we won't be worse than this, because I don't expect any race worse than this.

“It's probably one of the worst races, together wi𝓀th Spa, this one. 🍸I honestly believe that it is a one off.

“But for the future, we need to understand what we can do better in those conditions for us 🌱to be better.”

Sainz stres🍷sed Ferrari kn꧂ow the reason for their struggles, though he was coy about the details. 

“Unfortunately the pace wasn’t ܫthere for us this we𝐆ekend,” the Spaniard conceded. 

“Analysing back this weekend we clearly didn’t have the pace of the top four this weeke🌟nd. Wﷺe know why, which is the positive thing. 

“We needed a bit more of a chaotic race and nothing really happe𒀰ned. We did a good race from my side, a good pace, 🐼but P5 was the maximum.”

Binotto is optimistic that Ferrari, who now sit just 40 points clear of Mercedes in the battle for second place in the 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:F1 2022 constructors' standings, will return to their usual levels of competitiveness at the final two races of the se🍒ason in Brazil and Abu Dhabi. ꧙;

“I don’t think it’s the same trend, because in Singapore was competitive, Japan not too bad, USA good quali - so I think here has been a lot more diff𓆉icult,” heꦡ said.

“I’m hoping that it’s not a trend, but an ouꩵtstanding weekꦡend for us. 

“First we try to analyse what is going on and what has bee🔯n the main issues in Mexico and try to to be back competitive, for what is our level of competitiveness at least, for the last two races.”