Martin Brundle believes Ferrari’s willingness to pursue bold technical ideas, some of which have since attracted the attention of rival teams, provides an encouraging indication of the progress being made with the SF-26.
The former Formula 1 driver has been impressed by the greater confidence displayed by the Maranello team during the opening half of the 2026 season. Ferrari has been among the leading contenders since the start of the new regulatory era and is attempting to increase the pressure on Mercedes during the second half of the championship.
Martin Brundle sees Ferrari leading rather than following
The SF-26 arrived with several adventurous design solutions that immediately generated interest throughout the paddock. Among the most prominent was the unconventional rear-wing concept commonly referred to as the Macarena wing, while other elements of Ferrari’s package have also influenced the direction taken by competitors.
Speaking to Sky F1, Martin Brundle praised the work completed by the Italian team during the season and suggested that its engineers had shown greater belief in both the car and their technical direction. He described some of Ferrari’s choices as adventurous and avant-garde, highlighting the rear wing as a particularly clear example of that approach.
The British analyst also pointed to an exhaust solution that other teams had copied. In his assessment, rival interest in Ferrari’s concepts represented positive evidence that Maranello was producing ideas worth following rather than simply reacting to developments introduced elsewhere.
That technical confidence has been supported by an active development programme. Ferrari has continued refining the SF-26 throughout the campaign, while its high-downforce rear-wing configuration has become one of the car’s most recognisable innovations.
Ferrari’s race strategy also earns praise
Brundle’s positive assessment was not limited to aerodynamics or mechanical design. He also detected greater conviction in the way Ferrari has approached race strategy during 2026.
Strategy has frequently been an area of intense scrutiny for the Scuderia, particularly when marginal decisions have affected the results of Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc. Brundle nevertheless believes the team now appears more assured when making decisions during races, adding another important element to the momentum surrounding the project.
That does not mean every weekend has been executed perfectly. Fred Vasseur has acknowledged that the team’s overall return remains below its ambitions, despite a competitive opening half of the season. The Ferrari team principal’s 2026 mid-season assessment reflected the expectation that the team must continue improving rather than becoming satisfied with its current position.
Why the SF-26 appears better suited to Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari’s progress has coincided with a significant change in Lewis Hamilton’s form. The seven-time world champion endured difficult seasons with the previous generation of ground-effect cars, whose handling characteristics did not consistently suit his preferences.
According to Martin Brundle, the 2026 regulations have produced machinery that Hamilton enjoys driving considerably more. At the age of 41, the British driver has displayed renewed energy, and that improvement has helped lift the wider atmosphere around the Maranello team.
Brundle described the resulting momentum as a cumulative process. A driver who feels more comfortable becomes happier and more confident, while a car generating better grip allows the team to control tyre wear more effectively. Each improvement then supports the next, creating a positive cycle that begins to influence both performance and morale.
In his view, that process is now visible at Ferrari. The SF-26 is providing stronger grip, Lewis Hamilton is no longer damaging his tyres as quickly, and the results are beginning to reflect the more favourable relationship between the driver and the car.
The change is especially significant after the problems Hamilton experienced with the previous technical generation. His improved results and stronger historical performance after the summer interval have also contributed to the developing debate over Ferrari’s championship priorities.
Ferrari must convert momentum into sustained pressure on Mercedes
Ferrari’s first half of 2026 has established the team as a genuine contender under the new regulations. Bold engineering choices, greater strategic confidence and a car better suited to Lewis Hamilton have combined to create a far more encouraging competitive picture.
The next challenge is sustaining that progress over the remaining races. Mercedes remains the principal target, and Ferrari must continue converting promising technical ideas into consistent results if it is to apply meaningful championship pressure.
For Martin Brundle, however, the fact that other teams have already taken inspiration from Maranello’s solutions is an important indication of Ferrari’s direction. Rather than merely attempting to close the gap by copying the benchmark, the Scuderia is now producing concepts that its rivals consider worth studying themselves.
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