Ferrari’s SF-26 was forced into a setup compromise at Madring that prevented the car from expressing its full potential. Despite encouraging pace during Friday practice, the Scuderia ultimately left the Spanish Grand Prix with only Charles Leclerc’s fourth place after struggling to match Mercedes and McLaren when it mattered most.
Analysis of the Spanish Grand Prix continues after a race unlikely to remain in fans’ memories because of its largely processional nature and lack of decisive action. Mercedes and McLaren emerged as the leading teams, followed by Ferrari and Red Bull, although not necessarily in that exact order throughout the weekend. The result was nevertheless below Ferrari’s expectations, with only one of its cars reaching the chequered flag.
Ferrari SF-26 misses its chance at a favourable circuit
During Friday practice, the Ferrari SF-26 appeared capable of matching its rivals, particularly Mercedes. McLaren, meanwhile, seemed to remain in the background, almost as though it were concealing performance that would become clear when it counted in qualifying and the race.
By Saturday, the competitive picture was far more defined. McLaren had moved to the front, followed by Mercedes, while the two Ferraris were immediately behind with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull once again proving an awkward obstacle. The strength of the Mercedes W17 throughout the season provides further context for the level Ferrari is attempting to match.
Based on the characteristics of the circuit, Ferrari had been expected to enjoy a greater advantage over its rivals, particularly Mercedes, while potentially performing at a similar level to McLaren. Those expectations were supported by the belief that Madring’s layout should have suited the SF-26.
The positive outlook for Ferrari should remain applicable at circuits with comparable characteristics, including the Hungaroring and Zandvoort. However, the Maranello team has repeatedly struggled to bring every element together and convert the car’s underlying potential into the expected result. The wider performance trends from the weekend can be examined in the Spanish Grand Prix technical analysis.
Technical differences between Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren
Onboard footage from both qualifying and the race showed that Mercedes and McLaren could attack Madring’s kerbs more aggressively. That allowed both cars to gain time at important points around the lap, including the opening corner in the first sector, while Ferrari preferred – or, more accurately, was forced – to drive around them.
This suggests that Mercedes and McLaren were using softer setups capable of absorbing the circuit’s bumps and kerbs more effectively. The drawback was that both teams needed to raise their cars to reduce the risk of excessive plank wear, particularly through the compression at La Monumental.
Ferrari selected a different compromise. Instead of increasing the SF-26’s ride height, the team retained its lower configuration and stiffened the setup. As a result, the car could not reproduce the behaviour of its rivals over the kerbs. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were therefore forced to avoid them, losing valuable tenths that were difficult to recover elsewhere around the lap.
The differing solutions also illustrate how Ferrari’s performance compared with the other leading constructors, a season-long picture that can be followed through the Ferrari versus Formula 1 rivals statistics.
Why Ferrari chose a stiffer SF-26 setup
Ferrari’s configuration was considered necessary for two reasons. The first was to reduce, even if only slightly, the engine-performance deficit to its rivals. Running the car lower can reduce the drag generated by the floor through aerodynamic stalling at high speed.
The second objective was to allow the SF-26 to negotiate the compression at La Monumental while protecting tyre management. Ferrari therefore attempted to balance straight-line efficiency, the demands of the circuit’s most severe compression and the need to preserve the tyres over longer runs.
Ultimately, that compromise did not make Ferrari genuinely competitive in qualifying. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton lost considerable time in the opening sector before attempting to recover the deficit across the final two sectors. Neither driver was able to regain all the time that had already been lost.
The limited amount of electrical energy available over each lap added another layer of complexity. Ferrari also needed to manage how the hybrid system was used, determining where to deploy electrical power and where to harvest energy around the circuit.
Why the race pace comparison remained inconclusive
In the race, it was not possible to make a reliable comparison between Charles Leclerc’s pace and that of the main opposition. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen were all managing their tyres, meaning their lap times did not accurately represent the full performance available from their respective cars.
The Spanish Grand Prix therefore failed to provide a definitive picture of Ferrari’s maximum race pace. Differences in tyre management and the way the leading drivers controlled their stints made a direct lap-time comparison misleading.
Ferrari faces a very different SF-26 challenge in Baku
Madring exposed weaknesses that could remain specific to the Spanish circuit. That does not mean the SF-26 will arrive in Azerbaijan as the favourite. On the contrary, Baku’s long full-throttle sections could magnify Ferrari’s internal-combustion-engine power deficit compared with its rivals.
Energy deployment will also be particularly important around the high-speed Azerbaijani circuit. The sections where that performance could prove decisive are detailed in Ferrari’s Baku energy-deployment challenge.
Fred Vasseur has also acknowledged that Ferrari’s drivers will need to serve a penalty for replacing power-unit components. With overtaking opportunities available on Baku’s long straights, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix could represent a suitable event for Ferrari to carry out the change on one of its two cars. The complete weekend timings are available in the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix schedule.
Ferrari must now respond by continuing its step-by-step development programme and improving the efficiency of the ADUO-2 power unit. Although the newer specification cannot solve every weakness affecting the SF-26, it still represents a step forward that could help Ferrari at circuits where engine performance carries greater importance. Continuing to develop the current car could also produce benefits for Ferrari’s 2027 Formula 1 project.
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