Vasseur points out significant performance swing during Miami Grand Prix
Ferrari arrived in Miami with a heavily revised SF-26, but McLaren and Red Bull brought substantial upgrades of their own. Only Mercedes chose to delay their first major update package, opting instead to introduce it in Canada in two weeks’ time, rather than debuting it in Miami alongside their rivals.
The step forward made by McLaren and Red Bull was clearly visible throughout the weekend. Ferrari did not perform poorly by any means, but at this stage of the season the gap in internal combustion engine performance is becoming increasingly evident, as also highlighted by Lewis Hamilton.
The smaller turbo setup at the start of stints, combined with a fully fuel-laden car, can be an advantage. However, it becomes a double-edged sword in the closing stages of the race, when with low fuel levels the rival cars are able to significantly increase their pace. Within Ferrari, the two-week break will be used to carefully analyse what went wrong in Miami, particularly the issues that forced Charles Leclerc to push beyond the limits in the final laps in an attempt to defend a podium position.
“We saw a significant performance difference between the phase in which Charles was leading and the final part of the race: it is an aspect that we need to analyse,” admitted Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur.
“There are still some positive aspects to take away: the starts were good, the upgrades worked as expected, and we know exactly what we need to improve.”
The analysis of the Miami Grand Prix underscores the delicate balance Ferrari must strike between early-race aggression and late-race sustainability. As the 2026 development war intensifies, the team’s ability to refine its power delivery will be crucial in ensuring that Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton can fight for wins across an entire race distance rather than just the opening stints.
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