Ferrari’s SF-26 is exceptionally competitive through the corners at the Circuit of the Americas, but its lack of straight-line speed could leave Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton vulnerable in the 2026 United States Grand Prix. That is the assessment of Matteo Bobbi, who has highlighted the Italian team’s contrasting strengths and weaknesses while discussing the battle for victory in Austin.
Speaking on Sky Sport Italia ahead of the race, Matteo Bobbi also examined the challenge awaiting Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, who will start from pole position with the opportunity to fight for both the Grand Prix victory and, potentially, the Formula 1 World Championship.
Matteo Bobbi explains Ferrari SF-26 cornering advantage and straight-line weakness
According to Matteo Bobbi, Ferrari’s performance is concentrated in the corners, where the SF-26 has demonstrated exceptional speed. However, the car’s deficit on the straights means mistakes can become particularly costly when competing against its rivals.
“Antonelli will be on his own tomorrow. He won’t have any team-mates who can help him with strategy, and he’ll be up against two Red Bulls and two Ferraris. Ferrari is quick, but the SF-26’s performance comes only in the corners, where it is incredibly good. However, when something goes wrong, the performance drops away because it doesn’t have the same straight-line speed as its rivals,” Matteo Bobbi explained.
The assessment reflects the contrast already observed during Ferrari’s Austin practice analysis, when the SF-26 demonstrated encouraging cornering performance alongside a significant straight-line deficit.
Why Kimi Antonelli faces a difficult strategic battle against Ferrari and Red Bull
Matteo Bobbi also believes Kimi Antonelli could face a challenging race from a strategic perspective. Although the Mercedes driver will start from pole position, the Italian analyst pointed out that he will be competing without a team-mate available to support his strategy against the two Ferrari drivers and two Red Bull cars.
For Ferrari, the concern is whether its impressive cornering performance will be sufficient to compensate for the speed it loses on the straights. The difference between those two characteristics could influence how effectively Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton compete against their rivals during the Grand Prix.
The challenge is particularly relevant at Austin, where the SF-26’s performance has been closely examined throughout the weekend. Ferrari’s recorded straight-line speeds can also be explored through the Formula 1 top-speed comparison.
With Kimi Antonelli preparing to lead the field away, Matteo Bobbi’s assessment identifies two contrasting factors in the fight for victory: the Mercedes driver’s lack of strategic support and Ferrari’s ability to generate outstanding cornering performance without matching its rivals on the straights.
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