The data from Suzuka paints a clear picture: the Ferrari SF-26 generates an impressive amount of downforce. However, the team is still struggling to find the right balance between front and rear axles during Friday practice. This requires significant work, which must be combined with optimizing the hybrid system. Indeed, this second challenge should not be underestimated, given the sizable gap Ferrari currently has to Mercedes and McLaren in different sections of the track.
Ferrari SF-26 handling and setup: areas to review
By analyzing all the data from Friday in Suzuka, it becomes apparent that the SF-26 is still far from optimized. Onboard footage shows a lack of stability through corners, with drivers frequently forced to make small – and sometimes large – corrections as the rear end tends to become unsettled. This clearly explains Lewis Hamilton’s feedback.
Lewis complained repeatedly over team radio, saying he couldn’t push due to a lack of confidence in the car. Beyond this, the SF-26 confirms through data that it has a high downforce level. Reviewing all laps completed in FP2, and analyzing the minimum cornering speed peaks, it emerges that Charles Leclerc could be the fastest across the full spectrum of corners.
Specifically, at medium-speed corners, the difference becomes very noticeable. This is no surprise, as both Mercedes and, more recently, the McLaren MCL40 have admitted to a cornering speed deficit compared to Ferrari. This is a factor that the Maranello team will need to consider carefully tomorrow.
In short, the SF-26 generates plenty of downforce, but it is not balanced. The rear loses grip when the load transfer peaks, particularly between the second (middle) and third (exit) phases of a corner, especially in the initial mixed-section corners. The good news is that this problem should be solvable by adjusting the car’s balance for qualifying.
SF-26: where it differs from McLaren and Mercedes
The most obvious gap observed on Friday in Japan, compared to the Mercedes W17 and McLaren MCL40, stems from different strategies in energy deployment and recovery. It’s no coincidence that cars powered by Brixworth engines lead the session. However, even between Mercedes and McLaren, there are clear distinctions in how electric power is used throughout the lap.
The British cars spend a lot of energy on the main straight, entering Turn 1 with a significant advantage. Ferrari’s problem appears particularly in the sections from Turn 11 to Turn 13, and from Spoon to 130R. The gap is especially evident when straight-line mode is activated. This is something Ferrari drivers had already noticed in China.
When the movable wings can be deployed, the Italian car remains planted. For example, at the Spoon exit, both Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli record nearly the same deficit as Oscar Piastri. At the final chicane, Charles loses slightly more time, while Kimi manages to almost fully close the gap he had to Oscar Piastri.
Even with straight-line mode deactivated, this issue persists in a smaller form, showing a chronic deficit. It’s most noticeable between Turns 11 and 12, where the Ferrari must clip aggressively. In practice, the electric power is cut to preserve it for other strategic points around the track.
In this context, Ferrari faces two options: either it spends more energy than necessary, producing additional drag, or it fails to recover enough. The latter would indicate a clear inefficiency in energy recovery. Tomorrow will provide more insights, but energy harvesting and deployment remain a significant limitation.
Ferrari therefore possesses the raw grip necessary to compete at the front, but the SF-26 is currently a “nervous” beast that lacks the electrical punch of its rivals. Based on the content of the Friday data, the engineers in Maranello face a race against time to sync their high downforce levels with a more stable rear-end setup before qualifying begins.
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