Ferrari impressed during the Barcelona pre-season testing, completing extensive mileage with the SF-26 while avoiding any major issues with the Mercedes Power Unit. Yet despite the positive signs, some experts note that Mercedes still seems to have the edge. Here’s a closer look at what an authoritative voice in F1 thinks about Ferrari’s start to 2026.
The Maranello team approached the season quietly after a disappointing 2025 left them bruised. Under the guidance of Team Principal Fred Vasseur, Ferrari focused on hard work and avoided unnecessary speculation. In Barcelona, the main goal was to accumulate laps and gather key data on the SF-26’s basic technical setup. The team also anticipates a more aggressive aerodynamic package once the FIA completes its assessment. While the car showed no engine issues, Mercedes appeared slightly more prepared, particularly regarding the compression ratio on their Power Unit. Analyst Matteo Bobbi shared his observations on his YouTube channel.
Bobbi: “It’s important to understand how the car behaves when…”
“Ferrari completed a total of 432 laps overall, including 170 in a single day, making them the second-most active team on track. In terms of Power Unit mileage, the SF-26 covered 4,578 km—around 500 km fewer than Mercedes. This is significant because, at this stage, reliability is crucial, especially for the engine team. With everything being completely new, simply completing laps without issues is a major achievement.”
“Moreover, Ferrari arrived extremely well-prepared. I want to stress that this was no small feat. The car was already in strong shape at Fiorano and continued to perform reliably in Barcelona. They encountered only minor, easily fixable issues. The SF-26 ran consistently, and on the last day, the team even pushed the car slightly further to gather data at higher performance levels. This doesn’t mean they were running in full qualifying mode yet, but it allowed them to test the limits and understand the car’s behavior when pushed closer to the edge.”
Mercedes, meanwhile, appeared the most ready and seems to have already pushed their Power Unit harder while focusing early on lap performance. Naturally, this puts them ahead in the hierarchy, though clarity will come in Bahrain. “Regarding lap times, many of the top teams are already very competitive,” Matteo Bobbi noted. “I honestly didn’t expect them to be this fast so quickly. During Barcelona free practice, the fastest lap was around 1’13”6–1’13”7. The times Ferrari and the others posted are already impressive, considering they weren’t running maximum performance, the ambient conditions weren’t ideal, and it was very cold.”
In summary, while Ferrari’s Barcelona test highlighted reliability and solid preparation, Mercedes still looks slightly ahead. The SF-26’s true pace will be more apparent once the season begins in Bahrain, but the positive signs from Maranello suggest the Italian side is ready to challenge at the front once the competitive window opens.
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