This Ferrari 2026 mid-season review shows a team that is not yet capable of winning consistently or leading the Formula 1 championship, but one whose progress should not be underestimated. Ferrari has already delivered victories for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, introduced upgrades at nine of the opening 11 events and gradually reduced some of the weaknesses that threatened to define its season.
Most F1 supporters understandably want to see Ferrari finally win another world championship. Formula 1, however, is a highly technical sport, and becoming the best team on the grid is never straightforward. Ferrari was not considered one of the leading pre-season favourites because of the numerous rumours surrounding its new power unit. The Maranello engine has not proved to be the strongest on the grid, but nor has it been as disappointing as some winter predictions suggested.
Ferrari’s 2026 mid-season progress deserves confidence
The power-unit deficit placed Ferrari at an undeniable disadvantage compared with Mercedes. Nevertheless, the engineers at Maranello have shown an impressive understanding of the new regulations, allowing both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to collect numerous podium finishes and one Grand Prix victory each during the first half of the campaign.
Ferrari does not yet possess the pace required to win regularly or fight on equal terms for the championship at every circuit. The team is working hard to close that gap, however, and the progress made throughout the year means it deserves confidence. Even team principal Fred Vasseur acknowledged in his Ferrari mid-season verdict that the results achieved so far remain insufficient compared with the team’s ambitions.
Ferrari introduced upgrades at nine of 11 Grands Prix
Ferrari’s factory departments have worked relentlessly, experimenting with new ideas and introducing several innovative solutions. The spectacular “Macarena” rear wing naturally attracted the most attention, but it was not the only notable concept developed for the SF-26.
The team also introduced the FTM device, which was subsequently outlawed for the 2027 season, as well as the small winglets mounted on the Halo in Shanghai that were quickly rejected by the FIA.
Ferrari brought updates to nine of the opening 11 race weekends: Australia, China, Japan, Miami, Monaco, Barcelona, Austria, Great Britain and Hungary. That frequency demonstrates the aggressive approach behind the SF-26 development programme, something Charles Leclerc has also urged Ferrari to maintain during the second half of the 2026 upgrade race.
The most substantial package arrived in Miami, while Ferrari introduced its first ADUO development step at the Austrian Grand Prix. The benefits of the major American upgrade became visible relatively quickly, with Ferrari securing second place in Monaco before winning in Barcelona and at Silverstone.
Both victories were helped by reliability problems affecting Mercedes, but the SF-26 still produced strong and convincing race pace. Lewis Hamilton controlled the Spanish Grand Prix, while Charles Leclerc converted Ferrari’s competitiveness into victory at the British Grand Prix.
The main blemish came at Spielberg, where Ferrari encountered tyre-management difficulties. Similar problems subsequently appeared at other points during the season, confirming that the SF-26 is not yet a complete package.
There are still areas in which the car has clear limitations, but in our view Ferrari has done, and continues to do, an excellent job this year. Relentlessly attacking the team with harsh criticism, including when it is not justified, does little to reflect the progress that has genuinely been made.
Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari victory was the defining moment
There is little doubt about Ferrari’s finest moment of the first half of the season. It came in Barcelona, where Lewis Hamilton finally secured his first Grand Prix victory for the Maranello team.
It was a historic result for both the seven-time world champion and Ferrari. The victory demonstrated that Lewis Hamilton could still deliver at the highest level and that the SF-26 had developed into a car capable of defeating Mercedes under the right circumstances.
The result also transformed the championship picture. Lewis Hamilton emerged as Kimi Antonelli’s closest rival, although penalties, contact and strategic setbacks have since cost him valuable ground, as examined in the analysis of the points lost during Ferrari’s title challenge.
Could Ferrari become a genuine title contender?
Ferrari possesses considerable potential. During the current regulatory cycle, the team could establish itself consistently among the leading contenders if it continues improving its understanding of the technical regulations, power-unit management and tyre behaviour.
Achieving that would allow Ferrari to fight regularly with Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull for victories. Challenging for the championship, however, will require strong execution in every area of the operation.
At present, it appears difficult to imagine Ferrari competing for the Drivers’ Championship as early as next season, but nothing in Formula 1 can be predicted with absolute certainty. Discovering a genuine title-contending Ferrari when the cars return to the track in February 2027 would represent a welcome surprise.
The Constructors’ Championship currently appears to be a more realistic target. It is an objective towards which everyone at Maranello has worked intensely during recent months, both through the development of the SF-26 and through the effort to maximise the combined results of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Ferrari is attempting to follow McLaren’s path
Ferrari is trying to follow the route previously taken by McLaren. At the beginning of the previous regulatory era, the Woking team did not possess the strongest package. McLaren improved gradually, won the Constructors’ Championship in 2024 and then secured both titles in 2025, with Lando Norris crowned Drivers’ World Champion.
That rise was not completed through a single upgrade or one exceptional race weekend. It was built through progressive development, stronger execution and a clear technical direction maintained across several seasons.
Ferrari is making similarly gradual progress. The route appears to be the correct one, and the team must now remain committed to it. The objective should not be to search continually for immediate transformations, but to ensure that every development makes the overall package stronger and more complete.
The Constructors’ Championship must be Ferrari’s 2026 priority
As for the current season, defeating Kimi Antonelli in the Drivers’ Championship will be difficult even though Lewis Hamilton remains second in the 2026 Formula 1 standings. The young Mercedes driver has already established a significant advantage and has consistently converted the performance of the W17 into major results.
Ferrari’s principal objective should therefore be the Constructors’ Championship. The challenge is considerable, with the Scuderia entering the summer break 72 points behind Mercedes, but the title race is not necessarily over.
George Russell is still attempting to rediscover his strongest form, while reliability problems involving the Brixworth power unit have already cost Mercedes valuable points. Russell’s difficult first half has even prompted questions about whether he risks becoming Mercedes’ next Valtteri Bottas alongside a dominant team-mate.
Ferrari still has a considerable amount of work ahead, and the SF-26 remains imperfect. Nevertheless, with a victory for each driver, an extensive development programme and Mercedes showing occasional vulnerability, it would be a mistake for Maranello not to pursue the Constructors’ Championship with everything it has during the second half of 2026.
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