Ferrari’s extensive development push during the 2026 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix has highlighted a deeper structural weakness within the SF-26 package, with reports suggesting that Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are being significantly limited by an “inadequate” internal combustion engine performance that aerodynamic improvements alone cannot solve.
Despite arriving in Florida with the most aggressive upgrade package of any team, the Scuderia’s latest developments exposed a growing imbalance between aerodynamic efficiency and straight-line performance, raising renewed concerns about Ferrari’s power unit competitiveness in the current Formula 1 era.
Ferrari’s biggest 2026 upgrade package fails to deliver breakthrough
At the Miami Grand Prix, Ferrari introduced a total of 11 updates across the SF-26, targeting multiple performance areas including the floor design, suspension geometry, rear wing efficiency, and overall aerodynamic bodywork refinement.
Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc benefited from improved balance and cornering stability, with the SF-26 showing clearer responsiveness in medium and low-speed sections of the Miami circuit.
However, despite these gains, Ferrari were unable to translate their upgrade progress into race-winning performance. Charles Leclerc initially carried Ferrari’s strongest hopes for a podium challenge but his race quickly unravelled after a spin while running inside the top positions.
The incident damaged his Ferrari significantly, and further complications followed when Charles Leclerc received a 20-second time penalty for repeatedly cutting corners on the final lap while attempting to bring the car home with limited steering control.
The penalty dropped Charles Leclerc down the order, while indirectly promoting Lewis Hamilton and other rivals in the final classification.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc exposed to Ferrari’s acceleration weakness
Lewis Hamilton’s Miami Grand Prix was also heavily compromised, beginning with damage sustained during a first-lap collision with Alpine driver Franco Colapinto, which immediately removed him from contention for a strong result at Hard Rock Stadium.
Even prior to the incident, Lewis Hamilton had qualified only sixth on the grid, while Charles Leclerc secured third position but remained over three-tenths of a second off pole position pace, highlighting Ferrari’s continued gap to the very front of the field.
While Ferrari’s aerodynamic updates improved overall handling, they simultaneously exposed a more fundamental limitation within the SF-26: a lack of effective acceleration output from the power unit, particularly in slow corner exits and straight-line deployment phases.
Ferrari identify internal combustion engine as key weakness
According to reports from the Italian daily newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Ferrari are increasingly aware that further aerodynamic development alone will not be sufficient to close the performance gap to rivals McLaren and Mercedes.
The report suggests that while the SF-26 demonstrated improved responsiveness and aerodynamic efficiency in Miami, these gains also highlighted a critical weakness in the internal combustion engine, which struggles to deliver adequate acceleration performance.
Ferrari’s hybrid system and battery deployment are reportedly unable to compensate for the deficit in combustion engine output, particularly when exiting slower corners where power delivery becomes crucial for lap time consistency.
As a result, the SF-26 suffers noticeably in acceleration phases and on straights, where rival power units are able to generate significantly stronger performance through superior engine output and energy recovery balance.
Ferrari targeting ADUO system for potential engine upgrade relief
In response to these limitations, the Italian side is now increasingly focused on qualifying for the FIA’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) system, which could allow the team to unlock further internal combustion engine development tokens.
The FIA is expected to confirm ADUO eligibility allocations after the Canadian Grand Prix, with engine manufacturers assessed based on performance gaps relative to a defined benchmark.
Under the system, power units identified as being between two and four percent slower than the benchmark may be granted one development token, while deficits exceeding four percent could qualify for two upgrade tokens.
Ferrari are reportedly hopeful that their current engine performance gap may be sufficient to secure additional development opportunities, which would allow targeted improvements to the SF-26’s ICE performance.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc unlikely to see immediate improvements
Despite Ferrari’s hopes, any meaningful performance recovery from engine upgrades is unlikely to arrive in the short term. Team principal Fred Vasseur is believed to have expressed doubts over whether significant internal combustion engine improvements can be implemented before the summer phase of the season.
Ferrari’s priority remains stabilising performance consistency and reducing aerodynamic inefficiencies like high-speed instability and energy “clipping” issues that continue to affect both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc during race conditions.
Until those problems are resolved, Ferrari’s SF-26 is expected to remain competitive in specific phases of a lap but vulnerable in overall race execution, particularly against power units that deliver stronger acceleration and straight-line efficiency.
For Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, the challenge moving forward will not only be maximising Ferrari’s aerodynamic strengths, but also managing the limitations that continue to define their 2026 Formula 1 campaign.
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