Johnny Herbert claims Ferrari is no longer a major threat in the 2026 F1 development race. Johnny Herbert believes Ferrari has already revealed its full potential in the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Ferrari needed to win immediately.

Ferrari arrived in Miami with a heavily revised SF-26, but the verdict from the Florida Grand Prix was far from encouraging for the Scuderia. Charles Leclerc fought desperately to hold onto a podium finish, but even setting aside the late spin that compromised his result, the broader picture from Sunday suggested Ferrari had slipped into the role of the third-fastest team. There also remains the unanswered question of what kind of race Max Verstappen might have delivered had he not spun at the start.

According to former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert, there may now be a growing sense of frustration inside Ferrari because the explosive start to the championship that many expected never materialised, unlike the strong opening the Scuderia managed in 2022.

“At the start of the season, Ferrari looked strong,” Johnny Herbert said in comments to Jackpot City Casino. “There were several weekends where the SF-26 was quick right from the opening sessions. Ferrari showed its cards a little earlier than everyone else, but once the first development packages arrived, the rivals responded, and now Ferrari basically no longer looks like a threat.”

“It’s a frustrating situation,” he added. “Once again, it shows that the engineering ingredients required are simply not quite at the same level as those of the other teams, especially McLaren. They always seem able to improve from where they started. Ferrari’s development, on the other hand, always appears slower or less effective.”

Trouble in Canada?

On paper, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve could prove to be another difficult test for the SF-26, particularly because Ferrari is still believed to be carrying a power unit deficit compared to its closest rivals. After that, attention will shift to the ADUO verdict, which could finally give Ferrari the opportunity to intervene on the engine and address one of the key weaknesses that has shaped its early 2026 Formula 1 campaign.

Johnny Herbert’s harsh assessment of Ferrari’s current competitive trajectory therefore highlights the relentless, high-stakes nature of the mid-season development race in modern Formula 1. While maximizing a car’s launch specification can yield strong results in the opening flyaway rounds, historical trends show that championship longevity is dictated entirely by a team’s engineering agility back at the factory. By failing to match the precise, high-efficiency upgrade steps taken by rivals McLaren, Maranello risks slipping into a familiar pattern of early promise followed by mid-season stagnation. With power-sensitive venues like Montreal looming on the calendar, the pressure shifts squarely onto Frederic Vasseur and his technical department to leverage the upcoming engine regulatory adjustments, proving that the SF-26 still has hidden cards left to play.