Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull upgrades compared: who has made the biggest step forward. F1 development battle heats up as Ferrari improves aerodynamics but lacks power.

The development race has now fully begun, and Miami has already shown how quickly it can reshape the competitive order. Ferrari has found even more aerodynamic performance, but continues to suffer from a lack of power, while taking some consolation in seeing several of its own concepts copied by rivals. This includes McLaren, which has made a significant step forward in low-speed corners, and Red Bull, which has managed to resolve several key balance and steering issues.

McLaren overtakes Ferrari in key areas

Ferrari, which was the strongest of the chasing group back in March, has temporarily reduced the gap to Mercedes after introducing a substantial upgrade package focused on the floor and diffuser. Telemetry data shows that the SF-26 has improved further in technical sections and overall handling, but the lack of horsepower from the power unit is increasingly evident. This forces drivers to demand more from the tyres, accelerating degradation.

There are also growing concerns following comments from Lewis Hamilton, who reportedly criticised Ferrari’s simulator, claiming it has led him in the wrong direction. As a result, he has refused to use it ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.

For now, Ferrari’s biggest satisfaction comes from seeing its own solutions adopted by competitors, a clear sign of renewed creativity and confidence within the team.

McLaren has also introduced a large number of updates, with a second upgrade package expected in Canada. The MCL40 has been modified in the floor, diffuser, and rear wing, resulting in a significant step forward in performance. Data highlights a particularly strong improvement in low-speed corners, confirming the core ground-effect philosophy of the papaya cars.

In addition, the reigning world champions have improved their ability to extract performance from the Mercedes power unit, which in Miami helped push seven cars into the points-paying positions.

Verstappen returns to form, but Mercedes remains ahead

The biggest surprise in Miami, however, came from Red Bull. The Milton Keynes-based team worked extensively on the floor, bodywork, diffuser, and front wing, while also introducing an alternative interpretation of the reversed movable wing concept, delivering strong straight-line speed.

The RB22 has improved significantly in terms of balance and drivability, aligning much better with Max Verstappen’s preferences. The Dutch champion also benefited from changes made to the steering system, after complaining about issues from the very first lap of pre-season testing in Barcelona.

Overall, Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull have all closed the gap to the front, where Mercedes still remains the benchmark. The team led by Toto Wolff is also preparing its own upgrade package for Canada. Their latest success is partly attributed to the talent of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who appears more comfortable with the W17 than George Russell, showing stronger tyre management.

However, the general impression is that Mercedes will not have an easy ride this season, as the competition continues to close in more and more.