Ferrari’s resurgence following its Silverstone triumph is continuing to attract attention throughout the Formula 1 paddock. Among those impressed is Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who believes the Scuderia has become one of the standout teams in terms of technical development during the 2026 campaign.
Speaking during Thursday’s media activities ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, attended by ScuderiaFans.com, the British driver pointed to Ferrari’s relentless upgrade programme as one of the biggest reasons behind the team’s recent rise in competitiveness. In his view, the progress made by the SF-26 has transformed Ferrari from a team searching for answers early in the season into a genuine contender capable of challenging Mercedes on circuits where it previously appeared to be at a disadvantage.
The 2026 regulations have reignited Formula 1’s development race
Oliver Bearman explained that the current Formula 1 season is very different from the final year of the previous technical cycle. Whereas teams introduced only minor refinements in 2025 because the regulations had largely reached their development ceiling, the 2026 rules have reopened the engineering battle.
According to the Haas driver, the leading teams are now introducing significant aerodynamic and mechanical updates at an exceptionally aggressive pace, making continuous development more important than ever.
Oliver Bearman indicated that last season offered relatively limited opportunities for major performance gains, whereas this year almost every Grand Prix has brought new components capable of changing the competitive order. As a result, teams with the resources and manufacturing capacity to deliver upgrades quickly have gained a clear advantage over the rest of the field.
Haas admits it has fallen behind in the upgrade battle
While praising Ferrari’s progress, Oliver Bearman acknowledged that Haas has struggled to keep pace with the relentless rate of development seen among Formula 1’s leading teams.
The British driver explained that the American outfit has not introduced enough upgrades during the season and that some of the parts it has produced have failed to deliver the expected gains. In such a tightly contested midfield, he suggested that losing ground in the development race can quickly translate into a significant performance deficit on track.
His comments underline one of the defining characteristics of the 2026 season: success is increasingly being determined not only by a car’s initial design but also by how efficiently teams can evolve their packages from race to race.
Ferrari’s SF-26 turnaround has surprised even its rivals
The most striking aspect of Oliver Bearman’s assessment concerned Ferrari’s impressive recovery after a difficult start to the campaign. The Haas driver praised the Scuderia for the speed with which it has developed the SF-26, describing the team’s ability to introduce new solutions and extract performance as one of its greatest strengths.
He indicated that the Maranello team’s engineers and technicians have consistently found improvements across multiple areas of the car, and that such sustained progress is the natural result of an organisation capable of analysing every detail and maximising the performance of each update.
Oliver Bearman suggested that few teams currently possess Ferrari’s ability to manufacture, validate and introduce new components at a rapid pace, describing the Scuderia’s development programme as one of the benchmarks in Formula 1.
Ferrari’s power unit recovery also caught Oliver Bearman’s attention
Beyond the aerodynamic upgrades, Oliver Bearman admitted he had been particularly surprised by Ferrari’s apparent progress on the power unit side.
Earlier in the season, Ferrari appeared to trail Mercedes on circuits where engine performance played a decisive role. However, Charles Leclerc’s fight for pole position and subsequent victory at Silverstone suggested that the balance may have shifted considerably.
Oliver Bearman noted that Ferrari’s improvement on a power-sensitive circuit had exceeded his expectations, especially considering the concerns surrounding the Italian manufacturer’s engine during the opening rounds of the championship. He expressed hope that Silverstone represented the beginning of a sustained upward trend for the Maranello team rather than a one-off result.
The comments reinforce the growing belief within the Formula 1 paddock that Ferrari has finally identified a more effective development direction. With Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton now benefiting from an increasingly competitive SF-26, and with further upgrades expected during the second half of the season, the Scuderia appears well positioned to continue applying pressure on Mercedes as the fight for victories intensifies.
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