Ferrari increased its pace during the final hours of pre-season testing in Bahrain, with Charles Leclerc delivering consecutive fast laps in the SF-26. But what was really behind these runs, and what does it reveal about the true potential of the Maranello car?
The Scuderia left nothing to chance. After completing all scheduled testing, Leclerc suggested running a more aggressive qualifying simulation. Following the race pace work, he wanted to explore the limits of the SF-26 on a single lap to see if the car’s handling and balance would translate into improved lap times. For now, Ferrari looks solid, but Mercedes remains ahead and is the early favorite. Yet there are several technical details worth analyzing from Leclerc’s best lap in Bahrain.
Albano: “Leclerc’s lap comes from a mix: a good car and…”
“On the setup side, Ferrari arrived on track with the SF-26 already featuring a good level of downforce, even relative to what we can deduce about rivals. The balance between front and rear appeared in harmony, though the rear still tends to feel light under traction. Charles Leclerc has the ability to manage a car with this behavior, despite some steering corrections out of corners. We moved from a very light rear in the first week to a much more planted rear aerodynamically in the second week, though it still struggles to fully put the power of the power unit to the ground,” explained Federico Albano.
As noted, the SF-26 shows some issues at the rear during traction phases. Charles Leclerc’s lap time was set on a softer tire than rivals, specifically to test the adhesion limits of the car. Federico Albano highlights that this factor significantly affected the lap time. Updates introduced during testing have already brought noticeable improvements, and Ferrari is expected to continue evolving the car before Australia.
“Ferrari deliberately chose to fully execute its program, using a higher-performance tire to optimize both setup and energy deployment in qualifying conditions. This also signals the advanced state of development: Maranello could afford to run the C4 tire after completing its program. But it’s not just about tires or power: Charles Leclerc’s lap comes from a combination of a solid car and an increasingly refined energy deployment and regeneration strategy,” Federico Albano continued.
SF-26 strong in braking but struggling in traction
Rumors suggested that Ferrari may have run the car conservatively in terms of engine power and possibly with 30–40 kilograms of fuel onboard. Albano’s observations seem to confirm this. However, there are areas where the SF-26 currently shows superiority over rivals: braking is one of them.
“We first noticed excellent feedback in braking and corner entry. The suspension package, while struggling under traction, behaves very well in deceleration phases. Even during quick direction changes in the ‘snake’ section—previously a critical point—Leclerc hardly lifted off. The same applies to the braking at turn 10, where he gains on competitors. Charles Leclerc tested several combinations, with the last one being the most effective. He avoided lift-and-coast in the final straight, didn’t shift into eighth gear, and kept the engine at high revs to maximize battery recharge. Ferrari has progressively improved braking in turns 8 and 10, gaining significantly on rivals,” Albano added.
Another crucial focus was battery management throughout the lap. Maranello experimented with different strategies to maximize both the single-lap performance and the driver’s efficiency. There was no overdriving, just careful testing of a new power unit that relies more on the electric component.
“On the final downhill straight to turn 14, Ferrari deployed all accumulated power, reaching 309 km/h, with Oscar Piastri closest at -5 km/h and Antonelli at -10 km/h. It appears that as Charles Leclerc optimized braking and energy recovery phases, the available electric power for the final straight increased. The team prioritized understanding the package and gathering data, even if it meant the reference lap was set on a softer tire. In this sense, not hiding the performance becomes almost a sign of confidence in their technical direction,” Albano concluded.
As the team shifts from testing to racing, the quiet confidence in the garage suggests that Ferrari’s 2026 project has a very high ceiling. The meticulous data collection in Bahrain has provided a solid foundation, and the progress made in energy management could be the secret edge the Scuderia needs. Whether this technical confidence translates into a victory in Melbourne remains to be seen, but the SF-26 has certainly proven it is a car with a strong technical identity.
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