Charles Leclerc has found his way again as Ferrari prepares to put Mercedes under pressure
When assessing whether a team’s progress is genuine or simply the product of one particularly successful weekend, the final result rarely tells the whole story. Instead, the real answers are often found in the technical details, the setup choices and the direction taken behind the scenes.
That is precisely the conclusion reached by renowned Formula 1 technical journalist Giorgio Piola during the latest episode of Motor News, where he analysed Ferrari’s recent resurgence. In Piola’s view, the Scuderia’s improvement extends well beyond Charles Leclerc’s victory and reflects a significant shift in the technical philosophy of the SF-26.
According to the veteran Formula 1 expert, one of the clearest indicators of Ferrari’s progress has been Charles Leclerc’s renewed confidence behind the wheel. After several races spent trying to adapt to a setup philosophy that differed from his natural driving style, the Monegasque appears to have rediscovered the balance that allows him to extract the maximum from the car.
For Piola, that renewed harmony between driver and machine could become one of Ferrari’s greatest strengths during the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Charles Leclerc regains confidence as Ferrari returns to a clearer technical direction
Reviewing Ferrari’s British Grand Prix weekend, Giorgio Piola explained that Charles Leclerc eventually decided to move away from the setup direction he had initially explored alongside Lewis Hamilton and instead returned to a configuration that better suited his own driving characteristics.
“Charles Leclerc first tried to follow Lewis Hamilton’s setup choices and technical solutions, but here he preferred to go back to his own direction. That is why the qualifying result also reflected two slightly different setups between the Ferrari drivers. Charles Leclerc found himself again, and that is extremely pleasing because nobody has ever questioned his talent, just as I personally never questioned Lewis Hamilton’s class when, unfortunately, he endured a very difficult season last year. Ferrari can now be very happy because both drivers are performing at their highest level.”
However, Piola believes the most encouraging sign was not simply Charles Leclerc’s performance but the overall methodology adopted by Ferrari throughout the weekend.
Following the extensive experimentation carried out during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, Ferrari arrived at Silverstone with a much clearer technical direction. Rather than continuing to evaluate multiple configurations, the team committed early to a low-drag aerodynamic package that appeared to suit the circuit perfectly.
“There were no revolutionary upgrades, but Ferrari started the weekend with exactly the right approach by adopting a significantly different low-drag setup. The team used the updated front wing featuring the dive-plane introduced in Spain, while even reverting to the Melbourne specification for the bargeboards. In Austria Ferrari carried out countless experiments and still looked as though it was searching for the right solution. At Silverstone, despite the Sprint format, both cars began the weekend with a clearly defined setup direction.”
Ferrari also making significant progress with power unit management
Another area that caught Piola’s attention was Ferrari’s apparent improvement in managing the power unit throughout a race weekend.
Although he acknowledged that Mercedes continues to set the benchmark when it comes to deploying electrical power efficiently, Piola believes Ferrari has made substantial progress in this department as well.
“I believe Ferrari has made major improvements in engine management. Mercedes demonstrated during both the Sprint and the Grand Prix just how effective its power deployment remains, but I think Ferrari has taken a significant step forward. From this point onwards, the Scuderia should be capable of putting genuine pressure on Mercedes. At Spa-Francorchamps Ferrari will probably still have to defend, but in Hungary I believe the two teams could compete on almost equal terms.”
If that assessment proves correct, Ferrari’s development programme could finally be delivering improvements not only in outright pace but also in race execution—an area where Mercedes has traditionally enjoyed a competitive advantage.
Spa-Francorchamps will provide Ferrari’s next major test
Despite Ferrari’s encouraging progress, Piola urged caution ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
In his opinion, the high-speed nature of Spa-Francorchamps continues to favour Mercedes because of the circuit’s emphasis on engine performance and straight-line efficiency.
“I think Ferrari could find itself on the defensive at Spa because it is a circuit that places enormous emphasis on engine performance. It is extremely fast and should suit Mercedes perfectly. Budapest, on the other hand, could present a much more favourable scenario for Ferrari.”
While individual circuits may continue to favour different teams, Piola believes the bigger picture has changed considerably.
He considers Ferrari to be one of the teams that has improved the most since the beginning of the season, pointing out that rival teams have increasingly begun adopting technical concepts first introduced by the Scuderia.
“This Ferrari has undoubtedly improved, and perhaps it is the team that has made the greatest progress this season. What is particularly satisfying is seeing several Ferrari innovations being copied by rival teams. I am not referring only to the FTM exhaust solution but also to other concepts, as McLaren has demonstrated here. Ferrari has once again become a team capable of introducing original and innovative ideas.”
Barcelona carried greater technical significance than Monaco
Piola also compared two of Ferrari’s most significant weekends of the season, arguing that while success in Monaco would have carried enormous emotional importance, the victory achieved in Spain represented a much more meaningful technical milestone.
“Monaco would mainly have had psychological value because driver skill is such a decisive factor there. Barcelona, by contrast, is one of the best circuits for evaluating whether a Formula 1 car is genuinely competitive. That is why Ferrari’s victory in Spain carried far greater technical significance.”
The championship battle remains wide open
Finally, Piola turned his attention to the 2026 Formula 1 title fight. Although Mercedes has built a valuable advantage thanks largely to Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s outstanding results, he remains convinced that neither championship has been decided.
“There is still a long way to go in this championship. Andrea Kimi Antonelli has built an excellent points cushion and collected an important haul, but many things can still happen before the end of the season. Ferrari is genuinely closing the gap, and you can even sense it from Toto Wolff’s comments and growing frustration. Whenever those kinds of remarks begin to appear, it usually means a rival is being viewed as a genuine threat. It is classic Formula 1 psychological warfare. Toto Wolff has a long-standing friendship with Fred Vasseur, but even the joke he made earlier this week shows that Mercedes now sees Ferrari as a serious competitor once again.”
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