Ferrari collapsed at the most important moment of the Miami Sprint qualifying session when everything mattered most in terms of timing, execution, and the ability to put together a clean and fully optimised lap sequence. This was already discussed yesterday in detail, when reviewing onboard footage from the first day of Formula 1 action in Miami, including the way drivers managed braking phases, throttle application, and energy deployment across the lap. There are several positive aspects for the SF-26, particularly in terms of aerodynamic stability and mid-corner behaviour, but some issues still need to be solved in order to consolidate the overall package and extract more consistent performance across different phases of the weekend. After the 100-kilometre sprint race, the team will be able to fine-tune the setup in a more targeted way and work toward stronger performance in the second part of the weekend, especially with regard to tyre preparation and qualifying execution.
Ferrari updates are working but…
It was not a given at all, but so far the Miami weekend is delivering the expected feedback based on internal projections and simulation work. Ferrari has confirmed its new aerodynamic package, which is a clear sign that the validation process has been successful and that correlation with wind tunnel data is working properly in a more stable and predictable way compared to earlier phases of the season. This is an important indicator in Formula 1 development cycles, because it confirms that what is being designed and tested in controlled environments is translating correctly onto the track under real conditions. However, these updates have not radically changed the performance of the red car, nor have they immediately transformed its competitive position relative to its main rivals.
The upgrades brought to Florida were already planned from the very start of the season and are part of the natural, structured evolution path of the SF-26, rather than a reactive solution to specific weaknesses. With these improvements, the team was not aiming to solve the car’s main structural limitations, which are still primarily related to the power unit performance window and its overall efficiency envelope across different circuit layouts. The Scuderia’s goal is in fact to close the performance gap definitively only with the introduction of the new power unit, which represents a more fundamental step change rather than a simple aerodynamic refinement.
However, fans of the historic Italian team will have to wait until at least June for this major update to become available, assuming development timelines remain unchanged and regulatory conditions are met. This also takes into account that the FIA has not yet delivered a final decision on the ADUO, even though Ferrari’s internal work on the new power unit has been underway for some time already within Maranello’s development structure. In the meantime, intermediate adjustments are being introduced to reduce aerodynamic drag, optimise straight-line efficiency, and improve overall energy management during long acceleration phases, especially in circuits with extended full-throttle sections.
Ferrari reduces part of the hybrid deficit but still struggles: Soft tyre management needs improvement in Miami
The Miami circuit layout highlights traction demand and high-speed cornering in several key sections of the lap, particularly in areas where direction changes are rapid and aerodynamic balance becomes critical. However, it also features two long straights where the Italian car clearly struggles in comparison to its direct competitors, especially in terms of sustained top speed and energy recovery balance. The main limitation appears on the stretch between turns 8 and 11, where a significant lap time loss is recorded due to a combination of drag levels and hybrid deployment inefficiency. Interestingly, this does not happen on the following straight between turns 11 and 16, where the situation appears more controlled and stable from an energy distribution point of view.
In that section, the Maranello team manages to deploy hybrid energy much more effectively, suggesting that the energy management map is better aligned with the track characteristics in that specific part of the circuit. The situation changes completely in the high-speed sector, which requires strong aerodynamic load, confidence in stability, and high levels of lateral grip. In this type of corner combination, the SF-26 confirms its competitiveness and is able to stay closer to the reference pace of the front-running group. After all, the upgrade package introduced for this event was primarily aerodynamic in nature, focusing on flow efficiency and downforce optimisation rather than power unit-related performance gains.
The updates were specifically designed to improve efficiency while maintaining strong downforce levels, avoiding any significant compromise in medium-speed corner performance. Even in the slower and more technical section between turns 11 and 16, Ferrari does not look weak in absolute terms, although it likely showed some issues in managing the Soft tyres over longer stints, particularly in terms of temperature control and peak grip extraction. Overall, however, the balance of the car was quite solid, especially in the first free practice session, where long-run consistency appeared encouraging.
In that scenario, the SF-26 appeared significantly more stable, more predictable, and generally cleaner in its dynamic behaviour compared to several of its direct rivals, including cars that typically perform strongly in similar conditions. However, the single-lap performance still leans against the Maranello team, particularly when all sectors are combined into a fully optimised qualifying lap. In pure qualifying terms, the stopwatch does not favour Ferrari at this stage, with the team still approximately three tenths behind the benchmark reference. That gap is gradually shrinking, though, indicating that incremental gains are being made through setup refinement and operational improvements.
SF-26: it is possible to extract more competitiveness from the car
The new and highly focused aerodynamic package allows the team to better contain the structural weaknesses of the car, particularly in transitional corners and mixed-speed sections where balance shifts rapidly. Despite this cautious optimism, Lewis Hamilton appeared quite disappointed after the session, as his expectations regarding the initial feeling with the SF-26 were different from what he experienced on track. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion, especially after extensive simulator work carried out in Maranello, expected a stronger immediate performance correlation between virtual preparation and real-world behaviour.
Understanding the car’s behaviour still requires additional time for the British driver, who nevertheless learned a significant amount during the day by analysing telemetry data and comparing it directly with his teammate’s performance traces. Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, managed to optimise the handling characteristics more effectively throughout the session, although in SQ3 he suffered from a lack of grip linked to tyre activation that was not at an optimal level, which affected the final phase of his push lap.
Even while remaining on the second row of the grid, the overall weekend assessment is currently moderately positive when considering the full context of performance development and competitive benchmarking. Ferrari has shown real underlying potential that unfortunately has not yet been fully realised across all conditions. There is still a considerable amount of work to do, but as widely anticipated before the weekend, the aerodynamic upgrade was never designed to completely transform the car’s competitive fortunes overnight. For that major step, as previously mentioned, attention is firmly focused on future power unit developments.
According to information gathered and reported by the Italian media, simulator work has played a crucial role in defining the direction required to unlock performance that remained partially hidden after the latest aerodynamic updates. This is not a simple process, as understanding the car’s behaviour with only one free practice session is always complex in Formula 1, especially on a circuit like Miami that offers evolving grip levels and variable conditions. However, there is still clear room for improvement, both in operational execution and in mechanical setup optimisation, and Ferrari will aim to bring out these gains before the second qualifying session of the weekend, where small margins can once again make a decisive difference.
