After Miami, Formula 1 appears to have entered a new phase of the season. Mercedes remains in front, but the advantage seen in the opening races has clearly narrowed. McLaren and Red Bull have reduced the gap, while Ferrari, despite introducing a very substantial upgrade package, has not delivered equally convincing signals on track.
The most sensitive issue concerns Maranello itself. The eleven updates brought to the circuit did not produce the expected step forward. The improvement in race pace appeared minimal and, considering that Miami was not supposed to be an unfavourable circuit for the SF-26, the overall assessment raises more questions than answers.
Andrea Stella, however, rejects the idea that the shift in performance across the field is only linked to regulation changes. He stated: “Our growth does not come from regulatory changes: we have worked better on traction, corners and power unit management.”
Red Bull, on the other hand, seems to have found a more effective technical direction, gaining significant performance compared to the start of the year. McLaren also continues to improve, confirming that the development battle will be decisive throughout the season.
For Ferrari, Canada is already shaping up to be a serious test. The key question remains whether the Miami package is simply underdeveloped and not yet fully effective, or whether it is the first real warning sign of a deeper problem within the SF-26 development path.
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