Frédéric Vasseur has spoken about Ferrari’s expectations regarding the ADUO system and its potential to close the performance gap to Mercedes in terms of power unit performance. But how confident is the Italian team really about achieving this target? The Team Principal responded: “Honestly I think that…”
The Prancing Horse remains firmly in the fight, although the reference points at the front continue to change. The SF-26 has shown strong qualities through both slow and fast corner sections, but on the straights there is no real contest due to an estimated 30 horsepower deficit compared to the leading rivals. Ferrari is relying heavily on ADUO developments, but is Vasseur truly confident it will deliver the expected gains? Here are his comments from the Miami GP press conference.
Ferrari brought no fewer than 11 upgrades to the Florida weekend. Across the various sessions, the SF-26 — particularly in the hands of Charles Leclerc — has consistently looked capable of fighting for the podium, confirming its status as the second-strongest team in the field. At times McLaren has been ahead, at others Mercedes has taken the upper hand. This time, even Red Bull has entered the picture, with Max Verstappen lining up second on the grid ahead of the Monegasque driver. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, could only manage sixth. The race start is scheduled for 19:00, brought forward due to rain risk, but Fred Vasseur also addressed the ADUO situation.
Vasseur: “Just look at the straight-line speed to…”
“Honestly I think we will fall within the parameters. Now we have to trust the FIA: they will give us the numbers and we will have to base ourselves on that. We are talking about percentages that are difficult to evaluate, but you only need to look at the straight-line speed to get an idea…”
There is even concern from Toto Wolff that Ferrari could potentially surpass Mercedes thanks to ADUO-related concessions. However, the rules are clearly defined, and any shift in performance order would simply be considered part of normal development progress. Ferrari is expected to fall within the 4% threshold, which would grant them two additional power unit development updates.
In Maranello, work continues intensively on a new internal combustion architecture, as the current unit is effectively a compromise based on the 2025 specification. Among the many upgrades brought to Miami is also the evolution of the so-called “Macarena” rear wing concept. Fred Vasseur confirmed that the element is now fully race-ready:
“No, it is not a test: from today we are keeping the Macarena on the car.”
Loïc Serra, together with Diego Tondi and Franck Sanchez, has delivered a major step forward. The Italian car now performs strongly across all types of corners, showing an excellent aero-mechanical compromise. Development will continue through to Abu Dhabi, but from June onwards the wind tunnel focus will gradually shift towards the 2027 car. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are fully involved in the process.
“The drivers are involved in discussions, they have always been involved. The feedback we receive as a team also comes from their experience, so they are fully part of the process. We have a team that is working well, and if the system is holding up today, it is also because we were able to introduce changes during the season. That was not a given — in fact, for me it was something quite exceptional.”
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