Former driver and British commentator Martin Brundle has offered his advice to Ferrari on how to overcome the Anglo-German powerhouse Mercedes.
Ferrari has so far proven to be Mercedes’ closest rival in the 2026 Formula 1 season, scoring 90 points compared to the Anglo-German team’s 135 after the first three Grands Prix. The Maranello-based outfit has secured a podium at every round and has been involved in intense battles for the lead, as seen in the Australian Grand Prix and the Sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix. Despite these encouraging signs, the Scuderia has not yet managed to match the pace of the Mercedes W17 over a full race distance, falling short of beating them despite coming close on several occasions.
Martin Brundle’s advice to close the gap
According to Sky F1 commentator Martin Brundle, for Ferrari to fully transform into a genuine threat to Mercedes’ dominance, the team must focus its efforts on improving its power unit.
In particular, attention should be directed toward power management and deployment—key factors in reducing the performance gap during the enforced April break. This period will offer Ferrari a valuable opportunity to introduce updates that could potentially shift the balance of the championship.
Martin Brundle stated: “I think this championship is completely open, and with this enforced spring break we’ll see a lot of changes when we get to Miami and then through the spring and summer. Because I think Ferrari will find a lot with its power unit and with its management and with the delivery of the power. I think they will improve quite a lot.”
Outlook for the upcoming races and the battle among top teams
The former driver continued by highlighting that McLaren also appears very confident in knowing how to make its car faster. Among the top three teams, the battle is expected to be extremely intense. Martin Brundle added: “The fight between the top three teams will be absolutely relentless, and Ferrari will be right there in the mix. Mercedes won’t stand still and will come back from Japan, where Antonelli’s pace on hard tyres wasn’t outstanding, thinking: ‘Yes, we’ve won a race, but these two teams are coming’.”
The remainder of the 2026 season is shaping up to be highly competitive and unpredictable. Mercedes has dominated so far, winning all three Grands Prix held to date as well as the Sprint race in China, but Ferrari’s proximity suggests that, with the expected improvements to its power unit, the Maranello team will remain firmly in contention for the lead among the top teams.
At the same time, Mercedes is fully aware of the challenge ahead and has no intention of standing still, ready to respond in order to defend its advantage.
The 2026 season’s narrative is therefore evolving from a single-team showcase into a high-stakes technical war. Ferrari works to refine its hybrid deployment and McLaren brings its anticipated chassis upgrades, while the pressure on Mercedes to maintain its 45-point lead will only mount. Fans can expect the hierarchy to look significantly different once the paddock assembles in Miami, as the “ruthless” pursuit of the world title moves into its next gear.
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