Ferrari’s victory with Charles Leclerc at Silverstone probably marks the first real turning point of the team’s season. After the disappointing weekend at the Red Bull Ring, some had already started questioning the progress shown by the SF-26 in previous races. The Austrian Grand Prix had raised fresh doubts about whether Ferrari had genuinely closed the gap to the front or whether the encouraging performances seen earlier in the year had simply been circuit-specific.
However, everything that unfolded during the British Grand Prix appears to confirm a theory we had already discussed during our Race Tech show: Austria was a unique case and was unlikely to reflect the true potential of Ferrari’s Maranello-built challenger. Instead of representing a step backwards, it now looks increasingly like an exception within a much more positive development trend.
The Austrian Grand Prix told a very different story. Just a few days after the race at the Red Bull Ring, we carefully analyzed the reasons behind Ferrari’s sudden drop in performance, identifying two main factors that had a significant impact on the competitiveness of the SF-26 throughout the weekend.
The first was linked to the characteristics of Ferrari’s power unit. The high altitude of the Austrian circuit, combined with the specific turbocharger configuration chosen by the Maranello team, amplified what has become widely known as the “small turbo” issue. This characteristic particularly hurt performance on the circuit’s long full-throttle sections, where maximum engine efficiency becomes increasingly important. Under those specific conditions, Ferrari simply could not extract the same level of performance that it had demonstrated on other circuits earlier in the season.
The second factor, and probably the more significant one, was Ferrari’s aerodynamic setup. In an attempt to reduce its top-speed deficit, the Italian side opted for an extremely low-downforce configuration on the SF-26. The decision delivered excellent results over a single qualifying lap, allowing the team to fight near the front on Saturday and maximize its one-lap potential. However, that same choice inevitably compromised the car’s behaviour over a full race distance, where tyre management and aerodynamic stability become considerably more important than outright qualifying speed.
With less aerodynamic downforce, tyre sliding increased throughout each stint. That additional sliding accelerated tyre degradation, raised tyre temperatures and made it much more difficult for Charles Leclerc to maintain a consistent and competitive pace over the course of the Grand Prix. Even if the car remained reasonably quick on fresh tyres, its long-run performance inevitably suffered once degradation became a major factor.
As a result, Ferrari appeared significantly less competitive than it actually was. The final outcome perhaps painted a picture that was harsher than the real performance level of the SF-26, leading many observers to underestimate the progress Ferrari had actually made in recent weeks.
Silverstone confirms the SF-26’s progress.
At Silverstone, however, the entire picture changed completely. From the opening laps of the British Grand Prix, Ferrari demonstrated outstanding race pace, allowing Charles Leclerc to control the event without facing any major pressure from the chasing pack. The balance of the SF-26 looked significantly stronger, while tyre management also appeared to have returned to the high standard already displayed in Barcelona.
After taking the lead at the start, the Monegasque driver was able to maintain a consistent and comfortable gap over Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, which quickly emerged as his main rival for victory. Rather than constantly responding to attacks from behind, Charles Leclerc spent most of the afternoon managing the race according to Ferrari’s own pace, an encouraging sign for the team’s overall competitiveness.
For most of the race, the young Italian driver was never able to genuinely close the gap to the Maranello team, a clear indication that the SF-26’s pace was more than capable of matching the challenge presented by Mercedes. Lap after lap, Ferrari consistently demonstrated that it possessed both the speed and the consistency needed to remain comfortably at the front of the field.
Perhaps even more importantly, the Ferrari looked predictable in every phase of the race. There were no sudden balance issues, no obvious tyre overheating problems and no dramatic pace fluctuations from one stint to another. That level of consistency is often one of the strongest indicators that a Formula 1 car has reached a much healthier operating window.
Antonelli’s late charge raises some questions.
The only real uncertainty came during the closing stages of the race. Before the reliability issue that ultimately forced Kimi Antonelli to retire, the Mercedes had begun closing the gap to the Ferrari at a rapid rate. The timing data showed that Antonelli was reducing the advantage with several very competitive laps, creating some uncertainty about how the race might have developed had the reliability problem not occurred.
This naturally opens the door to two possible explanations. The first is that Charles Leclerc was simply managing his advantage, avoiding unnecessary tyre wear as he approached the chequered flag. Drivers leading comfortably often reduce their pace slightly to preserve the tyres, minimize mechanical stress and avoid taking unnecessary risks during the final laps of the race.
The second possibility is that Kimi Antonelli, with tyres in better condition and perhaps extracting everything from his Mercedes, genuinely had the faster pace during the final phase of the Grand Prix. Without access to the detailed telemetry data and all of Ferrari’s internal information, it would be wrong to draw firm conclusions in favour of either explanation. The available data simply does not allow a definitive answer.
What was clear, however, was that until that point Charles Leclerc had managed the race with remarkable composure and confidence, never giving the impression that he was under genuine pressure. His pace looked controlled rather than forced, and throughout the afternoon he rarely appeared to be driving at the absolute limit.
Mercedes probably remains the benchmark.
That does not necessarily mean Mercedes has lost its technical advantage. The car driven by Kimi Antonelli is probably still the most complete package on the current Formula 1 grid, especially considering the consistently impressive race pace it has displayed over recent weeks. Across different circuits and varying conditions, Mercedes has repeatedly shown that it possesses an exceptionally well-balanced and versatile car.
The gap to Ferrari, however, now appears to have narrowed considerably. That may ultimately be the biggest takeaway from the British Grand Prix weekend. Ferrari no longer seems to require unusual circumstances to challenge for victory. Instead, the SF-26 increasingly looks capable of competing at the very front on merit, relying on genuine performance rather than benefiting from isolated opportunities.
George Russell, despite securing a podium finish, never looked capable of joining the fight for victory and spent the entire race unable to consistently match the pace set by Charles Leclerc. While George Russell produced another solid and professional performance, he never truly looked like a realistic threat to the Italian side’s race-winning ambitions. That is perhaps one of the clearest signs of Ferrari’s progress. Beating Mercedes over a single lap is one thing, but controlling the pace over an entire Grand Prix is a far more convincing demonstration of overall competitiveness.
Spa will provide the definitive answer.
For this reason, we believe the Austrian Grand Prix should be viewed as an isolated event, heavily influenced by the unique characteristics of the Red Bull Ring and by a setup choice that prioritized qualifying performance at the expense of race pace. Under those specific circumstances, Ferrari’s true level simply could not emerge over a full Grand Prix distance.
The performances first seen in Barcelona and then confirmed at Silverstone instead paint the picture of a much more competitive Ferrari, one that is finally capable of fighting consistently for victories against the strongest teams on the Formula 1 grid. The next race at Spa-Francorchamps will provide a crucial and perhaps even more revealing test.
The Belgian circuit, with its famous combination of very long straights, demanding high-speed corners and constantly changing weather conditions, has always been regarded as one of Formula 1’s ultimate technical challenges. It will reveal whether the performance seen at Silverstone truly marks a genuine technical breakthrough or whether further confirmation is still required before Ferrari can confidently be considered a consistent title contender.
If the SF-26 performs strongly once again under such different conditions, the evidence supporting Ferrari’s progress will become considerably stronger. Success across multiple circuit layouts is always one of the clearest indicators that a car has reached a genuinely competitive level rather than simply benefiting from favourable circumstances.
One thing, however, now seems increasingly clear: the Ferrari seen in Austria was not the real Ferrari. Silverstone has revealed a competitive, well-balanced and highly effective SF-26 capable of putting genuine pressure on Mercedes throughout an entire race weekend.
If development continues in this direction over the coming rounds, Ferrari could become an increasingly regular contender for victories during the second half of the Formula 1 season. More importantly, if Charles Leclerc continues to extract this level of performance from the SF-26 and Ferrari keeps introducing effective upgrades, the Formula 1 world championship could become far more open and unpredictable than it appeared only two weeks ago.
Silverstone may therefore be remembered not simply as another race victory, but as the weekend when Ferrari finally confirmed that its progress was real.
Leave a Reply