No Formula 1? No problem. The forced pause in the Formula 1 calendar, triggered by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, has opened up a valuable working window for teams as they prepare for the return to racing in Miami. As a result, teams are using these weeks to push forward with their development programs through Pirelli tests, TPC sessions, and filming days.
Ferrari on track with the SF-26
Among the most active teams is Ferrari. As previously reported, the SF-26 will be running at Fiorano today and Friday for Pirelli tests focused on wet-weather tire development. This is an important indication, as it confirms that the Scuderia is using its current car at a stage of the season where every kilometer can prove valuable in deepening its understanding of the car in specific and unusual conditions.
Looking more closely at these tests, they are sessions in which teams participate on a voluntary basis to support Pirelli in data collection. Formally, this activity does not provide any direct competitive advantage in terms of outright performance, since the focus remains firmly on tire development. However, it is equally clear that for the teams there is still a meaningful indirect benefit.
Tire development sessions represent a crucial component in defining the operational window of the compounds, especially in critical conditions such as heavy rain or intermediate scenarios. Pirelli uses these tests to refine compounds, carcass structures, and thermal behavior, gathering data in conditions that are extremely difficult to replicate during race weekends. For the teams, meanwhile, the key benefit lies in the opportunity to accumulate mileage, improve correlation between simulator and real track data, and observe how the car behaves in specific conditions.
In Ferrari’s particular case, running at its own Fiorano circuit provides an additional advantage: the chance to put the SF-26 on track in controlled wet conditions, a scenario that has not yet been fully explored during the current season. While this does not represent an immediate competitive gain, the data collected in such circumstances could prove valuable later on. In the event of race weekends affected by rain, a deeper understanding of the car’s behavior on a damp or wet surface could help optimize setup choices, tire management, and overall race execution strategies.
Fiorano, Mugello, Monza: a key month for Ferrari
The Fiorano Pirelli test should not be viewed as an isolated event, but rather as part of a broader program that Ferrari is building in order to be fully prepared for the return to racing. The central point is that work is ongoing in Maranello on a major upgrade package planned for Miami, a set of developments expected to have a significant impact on the car’s performance.
Even before Fiorano, Ferrari had already made use of Mugello for a private session falling under the TPC category, meaning tests conducted with cars from previous seasons. In this case, the team opted to run the SF-25, the 2025 car, made eligible thanks to the greater regulatory flexibility introduced with Formula 1’s new technical cycle. On track were not the two race drivers, but the Scuderia’s reserve and development drivers: Antonio Giovinazzi, Arthur Leclerc, and Antonio Fuoco.
The key step will come with the 200 km filming day scheduled at Monza, when the Scuderia will begin to validate on track the package intended for the American trip.
Everything suggests that the updates will be aimed at improving aerodynamic efficiency, while preserving the strong downforce base already demonstrated by the SF-26. In this context, one of the most anticipated elements is the so-called reverse “Macarena” rear wing, considered particularly important for reducing drag compared to the current configuration on straights and giving the car greater top speed.
In essence, Ferrari is using April to build toward Miami. And the work at Fiorano, although formally linked to Pirelli tire testing, inevitably becomes part of this broader process: gathering data, gaining a deeper understanding of the car, refining correlation between track and simulation tools, and laying the groundwork for the first major technical step of the season.
The fact that Ferrari is pushing hard on development should not come as a surprise. The SF-26 has shown a promising foundation, but it has also highlighted areas where improvement is needed, starting with aerodynamic efficiency and drag reduction. For this reason, the work of the technical department is particularly intense, including efforts to reduce the car’s minimum weight and finalize the specification of new components.
In this sense, the work carried out in April also has internal symbolic value: maintaining high pressure, accelerating the production of updates, and ensuring continuity in the factory’s efforts. It is no coincidence that after the last race weekend in Japan, team principal Frédéric Vasseur underlined how important it was to maintain a high level of focus even in the absence of on-track activity.
Others also on the move: McLaren, Mercedes and Fornaroli
Naturally, Ferrari is not the only team making the most of the break. McLaren and Mercedes will also be in action at the Nürburgring for further Pirelli-organized tests. In this case, weather permitting, the focus is expected to shift toward dry-weather tires. This is also a significant development from a symbolic perspective, as the two-day test will mark the return of Formula 1 cars to the German circuit, albeit exclusively for tire development purposes.
For McLaren, this period also includes work with its young drivers. In recent days, the Woking-based team has put Leonardo Fornaroli back on track at Silverstone in the 2023 MCL60 for his second Formula 1 test outing.
If his debut in Barcelona represented his first real contact with a Formula 1 car, the Silverstone session carried a different meaning for the Italian driver: no longer just building familiarity, but beginning to work on more refined aspects of driving and technical understanding.
The program prepared by McLaren was designed as a progression from the previous test. Fornaroli was able to complete longer runs, work with different fuel loads, and try various setup configurations, while also alternating between Hard and Soft compounds. This allowed him to further expand his range of sensations behind the wheel and refine his interpretation of the car’s behavior across different scenarios.
Leonardo himself confirmed this, highlighting how the work carried out at Silverstone represented another step in his adaptation process to Formula 1: “Another great day on track: it was fantastic to be back in the MCL60. Silverstone is one of my favorite circuits, so I’m grateful to McLaren for the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car there again.”
Fornaroli then explained in more detail how this second test differed from the first: “As it was my second test, the program was more advanced, so I was able to try different setups and run with various fuel levels, continuing to develop my understanding of how to drive a Formula 1 car.”
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