Former Ferrari engineer sees strong SF-26 potential but warns team cannot afford to slow development. Former Ferrari engineer Francesco Cigarini believes the SF-26 shows strong potential.

Ferrari’s start to the 2026 Formula 1 season has produced a mixture of optimism and frustration, but former Scuderia engineer Francesco Cigarini believes the overall picture at Maranello remains far more encouraging than some critics suggest.

While Ferrari sits second in the Constructors’ Championship after the opening four races with 110 points, the absence of a Grand Prix victory has inevitably raised questions about whether the SF-26 is genuinely capable of sustaining a title challenge against Mercedes and the increasingly dangerous McLaren.

Yet from a technical perspective, the signs may be more positive than the raw results imply.

Why Ferrari’s SF-26 deserves more credit

Francesco Cigarini’s assessment of Ferrari’s latest Formula 1 challenger was notably measured but optimistic. Rather than focusing on the lack of wins, the former Ferrari engineer highlighted what he sees as meaningful progress compared to last season’s package.

According to Francesco Cigarini, Ferrari has produced a more competitive and technically ambitious car, one capable of excelling in specific performance conditions while also introducing concepts that have attracted attention from rival teams. His view suggests Ferrari’s development direction deserves recognition, particularly in a Formula 1 era where copying successful aerodynamic and packaging ideas has become standard practice.

The fact that competitors have reportedly taken notice of Ferrari’s technical solutions could be interpreted as evidence that Maranello is once again contributing meaningful innovation rather than simply reacting to others.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc still need more from Ferrari

Despite that technical encouragement, Ferrari’s competitive reality remains demanding.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have shown flashes of strong pace, but the team has yet to convert potential into consistent race-winning execution. Strategy, tyre management, qualifying efficiency, and adapting the SF-26 across different circuit profiles remain areas where Ferrari still appears vulnerable compared to the benchmark teams.

For Charles Leclerc, the frustration has been particularly visible during weekends where early promise faded over race distance. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, continues adapting to Ferrari’s systems and technical philosophy while searching for the ideal operating window with the new machinery. That makes the development race absolutely critical.

Ferrari’s biggest risk is standing still

The most important point raised by Francesco Cigarini is not about where Ferrari stands today — but where it could end up if momentum slows.

His central warning was effectively clear: Ferrari cannot afford to lose development intensity.

In modern Formula 1, competitiveness can disappear within just a handful of race weekends if upgrades fail to arrive or deliver less than rivals’ development programmes. Mercedes continues to evolve aggressively, McLaren remains highly efficient in extracting gains, and Red Bull can never be excluded from a rapid technical response. If Ferrari allows its progress to plateau, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton could quickly find themselves fighting defensively rather than attacking the front.

That risk may be even greater this season because the margins between the leading teams remain extremely tight. A few tenths of a second gained or lost through upgrades can dramatically reshape the competitive order.

Canada could offer an important Ferrari reality check

The upcoming Canadian Grand Prix could provide a revealing benchmark for Ferrari’s short-term direction.

Montreal’s unique layout, with its combination of heavy braking zones, traction demands and rapid directional changes, will test whether Ferrari’s recent development steps are translating into genuine progress or merely incremental improvement. For Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, the Canadian weekend could become a key moment in determining whether Ferrari remains a realistic contender in the 2026 Formula 1 championship fight.

Francesco Cigarini’s overall message, however, remains cautiously positive: Ferrari appears to be moving in the right technical direction — but in Formula 1, progress means nothing if it stops too soon.