The internal atmosphere within Ferrari has reportedly become increasingly uneasy following the Miami Grand Prix, as rival teams McLaren and Red Bull Racing demonstrated stronger performance gains despite the Scuderia introducing one of the most extensive upgrade packages on the grid.
Sources close to the team suggest that the overall mood among Ferrari personnel has deteriorated after seeing their expected competitive advantage diminish, with both McLaren and Red Bull appearing to move ahead in the evolving Formula 1 pecking order.
Ferrari’s aggressive upgrade push fails to deliver expected advantage
Ferrari arrived at the Miami Grand Prix with a clear development push, introducing an extensive set of updates aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the SF-26 package. The Italian team brought modifications across multiple areas, including a revised front wing, updated floor design, a redesigned rear wing, aerodynamic changes to the diffuser, and adjustments to both the front and rear suspension systems.
The scale of the development programme underlined Ferrari’s intention to solidify its position as a primary challenger to Mercedes in the long-term 2026 Formula 1 development race. Mercedes themselves, however, only introduced a limited number of upgrades in Miami, choosing instead to prepare a larger performance package for upcoming races.
Despite Ferrari’s significant technical investment, expectations inside the Maranello-based team were not fully met once on-track performance data became available during the weekend.
McLaren and Red Bull show stronger performance evolution in Miami
While Ferrari focused heavily on its upgrade rollout, McLaren and Red Bull Racing demonstrated more effective performance gains in race conditions. McLaren opted to bring only a partial update package to Miami, reportedly introducing around 60% of their planned developments.
Even with this staged approach, McLaren’s competitiveness remained extremely strong. Lando Norris delivered an impressive Sprint victory from pole position, securing a McLaren one-two finish in the Sprint race and narrowly missing out on a potential Grand Prix win due to pit strategy timing.
Red Bull Racing also showed notable improvement, despite a disrupted weekend. A first-lap spin for Max Verstappen and an early race crash involving Isack Hadjar limited their final results, but the underlying performance of the RB22 indicated a clear step forward compared to earlier rounds of the season.
Ferrari drivers lose ground despite promising qualifying pace
In qualifying, Ferrari appeared more competitive on single-lap pace, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton both showing strong performance relative to McLaren and Mercedes rivals. The Monegasque recorded a lap time that placed him ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and the Mercedes W17 of George Russell, while Lewis Hamilton also remained within reach of the front-running group.
However, this performance did not translate into race results. Charles Leclerc initially remained in contention for the leading positions during the early stages of the Miami Grand Prix but lost momentum after an early pit stop strategy call on lap 21 of 57.
The Briton’s race was also affected by the overall competitiveness gap that emerged during longer stints, as Ferrari struggled to match the sustained pace of McLaren and the improving Red Bull package.
Race incidents deepen Ferrari frustration
The situation further worsened for Ferrari when Charles Leclerc, while attempting to apply pressure on Oscar Piastri in the battle for a podium position, lost control and spun. The incident not only eliminated his immediate podium opportunity but also caused additional complications for his race due to resulting damage.
Following the spin, Charles Leclerc also received a 20-second penalty for multiple track shortcut violations, further compounding a disappointing result for the Monegasque driver and the Ferrari team overall.
Competitive benchmark shifts in Formula 1 pecking order
According to reports from Auto Motor und Sport, the psychological impact within Ferrari’s Miami Grand Prix operation was significant, with the team’s internal mood reportedly souring as McLaren and Red Bull Racing effectively neutralised Ferrari’s expected advantage from their upgrade package.
Even though Max Verstappen’s early setback and Isack Hadjar’s incident limited Red Bull’s final points haul, the performance of the RB22 suggested a clear upward trajectory. Max Verstappen’s qualifying performance, finishing just 0.166 seconds behind pole position, further reinforced the impression that Red Bull Racing had regained competitive strength.
In contrast, Ferrari’s inability to consistently convert qualifying pace from Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton into race performance has raised internal concerns about the effectiveness of the SF-26 development direction.
McLaren’s race execution highlights performance gap
McLaren’s race pace ultimately stood out as one of the strongest indicators of the current Formula 1 performance hierarchy. Even with an incomplete upgrade package, the MCL40 demonstrated superior race consistency, strategic execution, and tyre management compared to Ferrari’s SF-26.
The combination of McLaren’s strategic strength, Red Bull’s underlying performance recovery, and Ferrari’s inability to capitalise on its extensive upgrade programme has reshaped expectations for the remainder of the season.
As the Formula 1 development race continues, the Maranello team now faces increasing pressure to respond effectively to ensure it does not fall further behind its main championship rivals.
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