Charles Leclerc reveals Mexican GP overtaking fears after missing out on pole

Charles Leclerc doubts there will be any overtaking in the Mexican Grand Prix, warning the race order will likely be set in the first few corners at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The Ferrari driver topped both of Friday's practice sessions but had to settle for third on the grid.

His team-mate and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton claimed his first pole position with the Maranello outfit and will be joined on the front row by Mercedes' George Russell . Leclerc is confident in Ferrari's race pace but believes the low-grip conditions at the Mexico City circuit will make passing extremely difficult.

"I think the pace is good. I think the car feels good and felt good since FP1. So I think on that we've got the race pace, but I doubt there will be any overtakes tomorrow," Leclerc explained during the post-qualifying press conference.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari Photo by: James Sutton / LAT Images via Getty Images "I've tried more in FP2, and it's just very difficult because the overtake mode doesn't do much. So, I think whatever the standing is after Turn 3, it's going to be very difficult then to overtake. So, it's a bit of a shame that I didn't do the job eventually when it mattered." Asked whether he could take advantage of a tow from his team-mate, he said: "Yeah, I mean I’ll keep my head down as much as possible and see what’s possible, but yeah, it’s always an exciting Turn 1 there, and we’ll see how it goes." Leclerc currently sits fifth in the drivers' standings with 233 points, but the fight for P2 is becoming more tense as only nine points separate P2 and P5.

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli currently leads the championship and has the opportunity to claim the title at this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix. Russell sits second, Hamilton third and Max Verstappen fourth. The Mexican Grand Prix will take place on 1 November at 2pm local time (8pm UK time).

We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motorsport.com? Take our 5 minute survey. - The Motorsport.com Team