Ferrari has adopted the best development strategy among Formula 1’s leading teams in 2026, according to Sky Sport Italia analyst Matteo Bobbi, who believes the Scuderia’s consistent aerodynamic improvements have been more successful than the approaches taken by McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes. However, the former racing driver identified Ferrari’s power unit as the principal remaining weakness, arguing that the largest part of the performance deficit cannot be addressed until 2027.
Speaking on Sky Sport Italia, Matteo Bobbi highlighted the encouraging results of Ferrari’s latest upgrade package at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. The changes provided further confirmation of the team’s development direction, reinforcing the positive assessment of the Ferrari SF-26 upgrades and race pace at Austin.
Matteo Bobbi praises Ferrari’s development strategy over F1 rivals
Matteo Bobbi believes Ferrari has managed its in-season development more effectively than its main competitors, avoiding the setbacks that have affected other leading teams when introducing new aerodynamic packages.
“Ferrari’s upgrades have passed the test, and the team has been the best at interpreting the development process. It has never suffered a setback. McLaren lost its way when it introduced an upgrade package, as did Red Bull and Mercedes. Ferrari, on the other hand, has always improved, but most of the gap comes from the engine, which can only be changed in 2027,” Matteo Bobbi explained.
His assessment underlines the distinction between Ferrari’s chassis development and its power-unit performance. While the Scuderia has continued to improve the SF-26 through successive upgrades, Matteo Bobbi believes the engine remains the main factor limiting its ability to close the gap to its rivals.
The successful Austin upgrades and the challenges awaiting Ferrari in Mexico have therefore become particularly relevant when assessing whether the team’s development progress can translate into stronger results across different circuits.
Vicky Piria backs Ferrari’s frequent, smaller upgrade approach
Sky Sport Italia analyst Vicky Piria agreed with Matteo Bobbi’s positive assessment, pointing specifically to Ferrari’s decision to introduce smaller upgrades more frequently rather than relying on occasional major development packages.
“We wondered whether the strategy of bringing lots of small but frequent upgrades would be the right one, and it has been,” Vicky Piria said.
Her comments reinforce the view that Ferrari’s development approach has delivered the improvements the team was seeking. Rather than encountering the difficulties that Matteo Bobbi believes affected McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes, the Italian team has maintained a positive development trajectory throughout the season.
Ferrari’s power unit remains the key concern ahead of 2027
Despite the encouraging assessment of Ferrari’s aerodynamic development, Matteo Bobbi believes the power unit continues to account for the majority of the remaining performance deficit. In his view, this is an area where the Scuderia will have to wait until 2027 to introduce the necessary changes.
The distinction is important because successful aerodynamic upgrades do not automatically eliminate weaknesses elsewhere in the car. Ferrari’s improvement at Austin demonstrated the value of its development strategy, but the engine limitation identified by Matteo Bobbi remains a separate concern.
The question of power-unit performance has also emerged in the analysis of Lewis Hamilton’s Austin telemetry and Ferrari’s power deficit, providing further context for the technical challenges facing the Maranello team.
For Ferrari, the conclusions from Austin are therefore encouraging but not without limitations. Matteo Bobbi and Vicky Piria believe the team’s strategy of introducing frequent, smaller upgrades has proved successful, while the power unit remains the major obstacle identified in Ferrari’s efforts to improve its overall competitiveness.
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