Charles Leclerc fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth: what is truly worrying is not so much the outright position after Friday at the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, but rather the significant gap of more than seven tenths of a second from the front of the field. The SF-26 single-seater has clearly shaken and undermined the confidence of both drivers, yet there is still enough time across the Suzuka weekend to find a clearer direction and begin to put the pieces of the puzzle back together.
Ferrari slipped to being only the third-fastest team in Japan, a scenario that raises some concerns when considering expectations coming into this round. McLaren locked out the top positions, with the impressive performance of Oscar Piastri and his teammate Lando Norris keeping both Mercedes W17 cars behind, as the German team continues to represent a major competitive threat even at a demanding venue such as the Suzuka circuit. Meanwhile, the Ferrari cars gave the impression of having taken a step backwards on a technically challenging circuit that traditionally exposes the true aerodynamic and mechanical qualities of each car. Hearing over the team radio that Lewis Hamilton lacked confidence in the behaviour of the SF-26 was certainly not a positive or encouraging signal, as it seemed to suggest a sudden and unexpected return to the disappointing trends that had already been observed during the 2025 season.
Charles Leclerc ended Friday practice sessions in fifth place overall, approximately seven tenths of a second behind the leading McLaren driven by Oscar Piastri. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton followed the Monegasque driver by a couple of tenths, placing him just behind within the same competitive window. The overall picture that emerged at the end of the day closely resembled that of last season, almost as if the Ferrari had already begun to lose its early momentum and relative competitiveness.
Diego Ioverno, Ferrari’s sporting director, admitted that the performance gap was more or less in line with what the Maranello team had expected before arriving in Japan, and broadly consistent with what had been observed in the first two races of the season, especially when considering single-lap qualifying simulations. However, the Italian engineer explained that the team would now need to focus on improving performance by carefully analysing the available data in order to resolve some minor but impactful issues that had been encountered in terms of overall car management and balance. He pointed out that Lewis Hamilton had complained about a lack of confidence in the car, adding that the Suzuka circuit is inherently difficult, that the track surface is newly resurfaced, and that a key factor throughout the weekend would be ensuring that the tyres operate within the correct window from the very first lap. Diego Ioverno ultimately stressed that nothing completely unexpected had occurred, suggesting that the situation, while not ideal, remains manageable.
In summary, Ferrari appeared more uncompetitive than might have been reasonably expected, but within the team there is still a clear awareness that overnight work and analysis could bring meaningful improvements. The prevailing feeling in the paddock is that the SF-26 specification introduced for Suzuka may not have moved development in the right direction, at least not immediately in terms of on-track performance.
Back at the Maranello factory, the technical staff had been focusing heavily on exploring different energy management strategies and deployment modes, but it is not entirely certain that the performance observed on track matched the positive results that had been previously seen in simulation environments back at the factory. Another important aspect not to be overlooked is the resurfaced track, which has significantly altered grip levels compared to previous years. Charles Leclerc, for instance, was seen sliding on multiple occasions, unable to fully exploit the traction strengths that usually define Ferrari’s characteristics, indicating that several underlying issues still need to be addressed and corrected.
Up to this point, Ferrari had not displayed such an oversteering and unpredictable car throughout the season. The SF-26 was specifically designed and developed to provide drivers with a stable and planted rear end, offering confidence not only in slower corners but also in Suzuka’s famous high-speed sweeping sections, which are among the most demanding and technically complex on the Formula 1 calendar. The fact that this stability appears to be lacking is therefore a notable concern.
Ferrari must therefore work to regain its direction and rediscover the performance thread that seems to have been lost, as the car’s inherent potential is clearly higher than what has been demonstrated so far. Everyone within the team remains aware that the SF-26 tends to behave more competitively in race conditions rather than in qualifying trim. In addition, the FIA has reduced maximum energy deployment to 8 megajoule per lap instead of the originally planned 9 megajoule, a regulatory adjustment that could potentially help address some of the known limitations associated with Ferrari’s power unit. For this reason, maintaining composure and a clear analytical approach will be essential in order to extract the true underlying performance of the SF-26 package.
Charles Leclerc managed to drive around several of the issues, even as initial understeer progressively turned into oversteer during his laps, demonstrating his ability to adapt behind the wheel. By contrast, his Maranello teammate appeared to struggle more significantly with the balance and overall predictability of the car. The British driver must now work to rebuild the confidence that seems to have been lost, and Ferrari as a team will need to identify and implement a setup direction capable of mitigating the current difficulties. This effort comes while waiting for the first major and more comprehensive upgrade package, which is expected to arrive at the Miami Grand Prix and could represent a turning point.
The month-long break caused by the cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix could ultimately provide a valuable and timely opportunity to further develop and refine the SF-26 single-seater. The so-called Macarena rear wing was originally intended to be a useful performance asset at the Suzuka circuit this weekend, yet the adjustable flaps remained unused in the garage throughout Friday’s running. It is therefore likely that this innovative solution developed by the Maranello engineers and technicians still requires additional refinement and development work before it can deliver the expected performance gains, particularly in terms of operational stability and overall system reliability over longer runs.
On the Ferrari car, only relatively minor and detail-oriented updates were visible to observers on Friday. At the front corner of the car, for example, the brake cooling inlet for both the caliper and disc was slightly reduced in size, while still maintaining the necessary airflow required to properly feed the internal ducts and cooling channels.
On the engine cover, two modified “horns” appeared, featuring a slightly longer chord and a subtle downward curvature, with the aim of directing airflow more efficiently towards the rear wing assembly. This could potentially be a solution linked to supporting the aerodynamic concept behind the Macarena configuration.
Under the chassis, a new carbon cover for the damper system that absorbs impacts from the T-tray when it makes contact with kerbs was also observed. This component has been redesigned with the objective of achieving greater aerodynamic and mechanical efficiency, even in situations where the car runs low to the ground.
These updates and refinements come ahead of a broader weight reduction programme, as the car still needs to shed approximately five or six kilograms in order to reach the minimum regulatory weight limit. Suzuka must therefore not become a significant setback that could negatively affect team morale at a crucial stage of the season, particularly as the Maranello-based squad prepares to demonstrate its ability to respond effectively to the current competitive strength and apparent dominance of the two Mercedes W17 cars.
