Ferrari arrived at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix with a substantial upgrade package, making major changes not only to the front wing and floor but also to the sidepods. With so many new components introduced on the SF-26, the obvious question is whether the data from Friday’s two practice sessions point to a significant step forward for the Scuderia.
The Maranello team brought no fewer than eight upgrades to Barcelona. The most heavily revised component is undoubtedly the front wing, an area where Ferrari had previously adopted a relatively conservative design philosophy. Loic Serra’s technical group knew that a more aggressive specification would eventually be required, and that moment has now arrived.
The changes are immediately visible, particularly in the flap design, which now resembles solutions used by rival teams. Additional deflectors have been added to the endplates, while the wing also features a new actuator. The floor has undergone equally important revisions. At the floor entry, small Venturi-style channels can now be seen, a feature commonly found on modern ground-effect cars.
Further modifications have been made around the rear section of the floor, ahead of the rear wheels, with the aim of preventing airflow disruption and improving diffuser efficiency. The diffuser itself has also been significantly redesigned, particularly around its trailing edge, where the increasingly complex geometry highlights the considerable effort Ferrari has invested in developing the rear of the car.
Ferrari benefits from a stronger front end as Charles Leclerc remains in the fight
Analysis conducted by Federico Albano for FormulaPassion suggests that the SF-26 has made notable progress in terms of overall balance. Ferrari appeared competitive through virtually every corner of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and, in certain sections, even stronger than its rivals.
“The front end looked significantly stronger, with the tendency toward understeer almost disappearing and the drivers frequently asking to reduce front-wing angle between runs. Looking at the data, Ferrari is competitive, if not even better than the competition, through almost every corner on the circuit. Charles Leclerc is able to make excellent use of the improved front-end response, particularly through Turn 9, where he even recorded the fastest second sector overall. The problem, however, remains enormous when it comes to power and energy management.”
That power-unit limitation continues to extract a heavy price. The data show that clipping occurs far earlier on Ferrari’s main straight compared to its rivals. As a result, Charles Leclerc is forced to rely heavily on lift-and-coast techniques into Turns 4, 5 and 7 in order to recharge the battery.
The Monegasque then attempts to maximize the car’s strengths and available energy through Turn 9, one of the fastest corners on the circuit. The SF-26 also performs very well through Turns 10 and 12, two corners that place significant demands on the chassis.
However, the rear end still lacks some traction performance. More importantly, all of Ferrari’s gains are partially erased in the final part of the lap, where the car loses around 20 km/h through the last pair of fast right-hand corners because of its energy deployment limitations. Charles Leclerc manages to reduce the damage with an excellent line through Turn 14, but the deficit remains significant.
The high temperatures in Barcelona place additional stress on the rear tyres. Charles Leclerc has been able to manage the situation effectively, helped by the stronger front end, whereas Lewis Hamilton appeared to struggle more with setup adjustments and rear-end instability.
Strong race pace, but qualifying remains Ferrari’s biggest challenge
It is also worth noting that Lewis Hamilton’s Friday programme was affected by an issue involving the new front-wing actuator, as explained by team principal Fred Vasseur. For that reason, any definitive comparison between Ferrari’s two drivers has been postponed until FP3.
One particularly encouraging sign for Ferrari was its long-run performance. Based on Charles Leclerc’s race simulations, the SF-26 appeared capable of matching the pace of the leading teams. The car also seemed to manage tyre temperatures effectively despite the severe degradation experienced by many competitors, with relatively limited rear-tyre overheating.
Qualifying, however, presents a very different challenge. McLaren and Mercedes have both demonstrated impressive one-lap pace, while Red Bull cannot be ruled out either, especially if Max Verstappen and the team manage to unlock more performance overnight.
At the moment, Ferrari may have to settle for a position on the third row of the grid, relying on its stronger race pace to move forward on Sunday. However, with another practice session still to come and setup work continuing, nothing has been decided yet.
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