Ferrari’s SF-26 appears to have made an important step forward in the closing stages of the 2026 Formula 1 season, but Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc now face a different challenge: turning improved performance into victories. After months of difficulties and inconsistent results, the Maranello team seems to have finally found a more effective technical direction. The encouraging performances at Austin and Mexico City suggest that Ferrari is beginning to understand its car better, although there is still work to do before it can consistently fight for wins.
Two circuits with very different characteristics, two opportunities to dream of victory and encouraging signs for the future. That is the picture emerging from Ferrari’s latest performances, which have provided some answers to the problems that have limited the SF-26 throughout the championship.
The United States and Mexico City Grands Prix told different stories, but both offered interesting indications about the car’s competitiveness and handling. More important than the results themselves was Ferrari’s ability to perform on circuits with contrasting technical demands and environmental conditions, something that could prove particularly valuable during the remaining rounds of the season.
Austin provides the first signs of Ferrari SF-26 progress
The United States Grand Prix had already offered encouraging indications of Ferrari’s improving competitiveness. Charles Leclerc secured a valuable second place, while Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, just over a second away from the podium.
Beyond the finishing positions, it was the behaviour of the SF-26 that made the strongest impression. Ferrari demonstrated convincing tyre management, particularly during the second half of the race, when Charles Leclerc was able to recover ground and overtake Max Verstappen.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s victory for Mercedes was deserved, but Charles Leclerc’s performance confirmed that the SF-26 possessed encouraging potential even at a demanding circuit such as the Circuit of The Americas.
It would be impossible to claim with certainty that Ferrari could have won with a different starting position or an alternative strategy. Nevertheless, the performance displayed in Texas represented a positive development compared with the difficulties encountered earlier in the season.
Ferrari’s strong race performance was particularly encouraging because it suggested that the team was making progress in areas that had previously limited its competitiveness. The improvement also provided a useful indication of the car’s potential over a complete Grand Prix distance, rather than simply during isolated laps.
Mexico City confirms Ferrari’s improving competitiveness
If Austin had raised hopes of a Ferrari recovery, the Mexico City Grand Prix provided an even more significant indication that the progress could be genuine.
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez presented a completely different challenge from the American circuit. High altitude, thinner air, cooling difficulties and unusual aerodynamic requirements meant that reproducing the performance seen in Texas was far from guaranteed.
Yet Ferrari rose to the challenge.
Lewis Hamilton delivered an exceptional qualifying performance to secure his first Grand Prix pole position with Ferrari, finishing ahead of George Russell and Charles Leclerc. The result confirmed that the SF-26 was also capable of producing competitive performance over a single lap.
During the race, both Ferrari drivers were involved in the fight at the front from the opening corners. The potential for a one-two finish was genuine, but the early confrontation between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, together with the incident involving leaving the track and the five-second penalty imposed on the Monegasque, completely changed the course of the Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen capitalised on the situation to claim victory, while Lewis Hamilton finished second, just 0.799 seconds behind the Red Bull driver. Charles Leclerc eventually crossed the line in fourth place.
The result inevitably left Ferrari with a sense of frustration. The team had missed an important opportunity, but it had also demonstrated that it could compete for victory at a circuit with particularly demanding technical characteristics.
The controversy surrounding the opening stages also highlighted the importance of execution, with Charles Leclerc subsequently explaining why he did not return the position to Lewis Hamilton following their first-lap encounter.
Ferrari SF-26 upgrades appear to have widened the car’s operating window
Perhaps the most interesting technical development concerns the behaviour of the Ferrari SF-26 itself.
Throughout the season, Ferrari had frequently displayed encouraging qualities in the more technical sections of circuits, but weaknesses in overall efficiency and sensitivity to changing track conditions often compromised its performance.
The SF-26 was capable of producing impressive speed when everything was working correctly, but it was not always easy to understand or manage when the setup, temperatures and tyres moved outside their ideal operating window.
The latest developments and setup work appear to have improved this balance.
The Ferrari now seems more consistent over a race distance, with tyre management providing encouraging indications and the car displaying more predictable behaviour during the last two Grands Prix. Austin allowed Ferrari to assess the SF-26 through high-speed corners, changes of direction and slower sections. Mexico City, meanwhile, represented a particularly demanding examination of aerodynamic performance and thermal management.
Naturally, two Grands Prix are not sufficient to declare that every weakness in the project has been resolved. Nevertheless, there is a growing impression that Ferrari’s development work has progressively widened the car’s effective operating window.
That would represent an important achievement. A Formula 1 car that is less sensitive to setup variations and environmental conditions allows its drivers to exploit its characteristics more effectively throughout an entire race weekend.
The significance of these improvements also extends beyond individual race results. Ferrari’s recent development work could provide valuable technical knowledge for the future, with the latest SF-26 upgrades potentially offering useful lessons for the team’s 2027 Formula 1 project.
Fred Vasseur and Ferrari’s determination to improve the SF-26
Within this context, the work carried out by the team under Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur also deserves consideration.
Criticism, tensions and questions about the technical direction pursued at Maranello have been recurring themes throughout the season. Nevertheless, Ferrari has continued working, introducing upgrades and attempting to correct the weaknesses of the SF-26 progressively.
The performances delivered in recent weeks suggest that these efforts are beginning to produce tangible benefits.
It would be wrong to dismiss all the problems Ferrari has experienced during the championship simply because of two encouraging races. Equally, it would be unfair to ignore the work undertaken by the team merely because those improvements have not yet translated into another victory.
Formula 1 demands consistency, technical understanding and the ability to develop a car without losing sight of the direction being pursued. From this perspective, the latest races appear to offer positive indications for the group working at Maranello.
However, several weaknesses remain, particularly concerning the overall management of race weekends. What happened in Mexico demonstrated that a competitive car must be accompanied by equally effective execution if Ferrari is to maximise its opportunities.
The tensions following the encounter between Ferrari’s two drivers in Mexico also underline how important it will be for the team to manage its internal competition while pursuing the strongest possible collective results.
Ferrari’s biggest regret: Failing to convert SF-26 performance into victories
There is one common element connecting the Austin and Mexico City Grands Prix: the feeling that Ferrari could have achieved more.
In Texas, victory was not an easily attainable objective, considering Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s eventual advantage. Nevertheless, Charles Leclerc demonstrated that he could fight for the leading positions.
In Mexico, by contrast, the prospect of victory appeared considerably more realistic. Lewis Hamilton’s pole position and the competitiveness demonstrated by both Ferrari cars had created the conditions for an exceptional result.
That should give Ferrari plenty to reflect on. For much of the championship, the Maranello team found itself chasing its rivals and attempting to maximise every available opportunity. Now the challenge appears to have shifted, at least partially. It is no longer simply a matter of finding additional performance, but also ensuring that Ferrari obtains the results its car is capable of delivering.
Returning to winning consistently requires attention to every detail, from qualifying and the start to race strategy and the management of different phases of a Grand Prix.
These are precisely the areas in which Ferrari must demonstrate that it has taken another step forward.
Comparing Ferrari’s performances with those of its main competitors can also help illustrate how the balance of competitiveness has changed throughout the championship, with the Ferrari versus Formula 1 rivals statistics providing a broader view of the team’s qualifying performances, race results and pace relative to Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren.
Why Ferrari’s late-season SF-26 progress matters for 2027
The 2026 Formula 1 World Championship is approaching its conclusion, but the remaining races could mean considerably more for Ferrari than simply improving its position in the standings.
They could become an important opportunity to consolidate the work already completed and finish the season with a different level of confidence in the technical direction pursued at Maranello. The SF-26 has not suddenly become a perfect Formula 1 car. There are still areas requiring improvement, and competing with Mercedes and Red Bull remains an extremely demanding challenge.
Nevertheless, Austin and Mexico City have presented the image of a more competitive Ferrari, one that appears to understand its car better and exploit its strengths with greater consistency. That is probably the most interesting development for Maranello.
A race victory can disappear because of a strategy decision, an incident or a difficult start, but genuine technical progress provides a foundation upon which a team can continue building.
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