Ferrari left the Austrian Grand Prix with far more questions than answers after a race that exposed the SF-26’s biggest weakness: its inability to deliver consistent performance over a full race distance.
After securing an encouraging front-row start on Saturday, Charles Leclerc looked capable of fighting near the front. Instead, the Monegasque gradually slipped backwards throughout Sunday’s race, eventually finishing eighth after one of Ferrari’s most disappointing performances of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
While qualifying suggested Ferrari had taken another step forward following its recent upgrades, the race painted a completely different picture. The SF-26 lacked pace, struggled with tyre degradation and proved unable to compete with Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren over long runs.
Lewis Hamilton gets the upper hand once again
The race also extended Lewis Hamilton’s recent advantage within Ferrari. After overtaking Charles Leclerc on the opening lap, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion passed his teammate twice more as differing tyre strategies created additional opportunities.
That result means Charles Leclerc has now finished behind Lewis Hamilton in five consecutive Grands Prix, his longest losing streak against a Ferrari teammate since his debut season with the Scuderia alongside Sebastian Vettel in 2019.
Although Lewis Hamilton managed to extract slightly more from the SF-26 and finish fifth, both Maranello drivers experienced the same fundamental limitations throughout the race, particularly on the Medium and Hard tyre compounds.
Charles Leclerc admits Ferrari is struggling to understand the SF-26
Following the race, Charles Leclerc explained that overheating rear tyres played a major role in his disappointing afternoon. However, he also admitted that Ferrari’s biggest concern extends well beyond tyre management.
According to the Monegasque, the setup direction chosen after qualifying failed to deliver the expected balance during the race. Rear grip disappeared almost immediately, forcing him into constant slides that quickly overheated the rear tyres and severely compromised race pace.
Perhaps even more worrying, Charles Leclerc acknowledged that Ferrari’s engineers are still unable to fully explain why the SF-26 can appear highly competitive one weekend before struggling dramatically at the next.
The Ferrari driver pointed to the contrast between Barcelona and Austria as the clearest example. While the Spanish Grand Prix suggested the latest upgrades had transformed the car into one of the fastest packages on Sunday, Spielberg produced the exact opposite result despite only minor changes between the two events.
In his view, the upgrade package itself was not responsible for the sudden drop in competitiveness. Instead, he believes modern Formula 1 cars have become extraordinarily sensitive to setup changes, with even small deviations capable of producing major swings in performance.
Ferrari’s race pace remains the biggest concern
Speaking after the Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc also admitted that battling the Mercedes-powered cars and the Red Bull package had become almost impossible because Ferrari lacked both straight-line speed and overall race pace. Regardless of whether rivals attacked on the inside or outside, he rarely had the performance needed to defend his position.
The Italian side’s first ADUO-assisted power unit upgrade had been expected to reduce the deficit on circuits where engine performance plays a decisive role. Instead, Austria highlighted that the team’s challenges extend beyond pure horsepower. Tyre degradation, balance, setup sensitivity and overall consistency all combined to produce a difficult afternoon.
Despite the disappointing result, flashes of speed continue to suggest the potential remains within the SF-26. The Monegasque delivered one of his strongest qualifying performances of the season at the Red Bull Ring, while he was also in contention for excellent results in Monaco and Barcelona before circumstances derailed both weekends.
However, Formula 1 rewards consistency over outright potential, and that is precisely where Ferrari is currently falling short.
Attention turns to Silverstone
The Austrian Grand Prix leaves Ferrari facing an important period of analysis before Formula 1 heads to Silverstone. Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have acknowledged that the team still possesses the ingredients to fight near the front under the right conditions, but unlocking that performance consistently remains the greatest challenge.
For now, Ferrari’s engineers face a difficult task. Until they fully understand why the SF-26 can fluctuate so dramatically from one weekend to the next, victories are likely to remain dependent on circuit characteristics rather than becoming the norm.
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