Coming into the 2026 Formula 1 season, there was hope that Ferrari would improve upon their performance during the ground effect era. Right from pre-season testing, it was clear that the Scuderia would be challenging Mercedes at the top with their improved engine and start procedure trick.
Thus far, it has clearly worked out for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, as the pair have consistently finished toward the upper half of the points and have both earned podium finishes. With two races having been cancelled, producing a five-week break between the Japanese Grand Prix and the Miami Grand Prix, team principal Fred Vasseur was keen to say that a new championship would begin in Florida.
Coming into the Miami Grand Prix, Ferrari came in with the most upgrades out of all 11 teams on the grid. The goal was to match Mercedes' race pace. However, the weekend turned disastrous, as early contact for Lewis Hamilton lost him nearly 20 points of race pace, and Charles Leclerc had a spin leading to suspension damage. He was overtaken twice on the final lap and later penalized.
Ferrari at risk of another collapse
Throughout qualifying and even earlier in the race, both Ferrari drivers were lacking compared to Mercedes, with Kimi Antonelli comfortably taking pole.
It was rather worrying for the Italian team to see Hamilton qualify behind George Russell, even with the Mercedes driver struggling with some car-related issues.
If anything, it has been McLaren that have closed the gap to Ferrari, with Red Bull not too far behind. The Silver Arrows, meanwhile, should only increase their performance gap moving forward, as all of their challengers brought substantial upgrade packages to Miami. But Mercedes have their larger package scheduled for the Canadian Grand Prix weekend later in May.
What started off as confidence from Vasseur in terms of challenging for either one or both world championships this season has quickly turned into maintaining their position in the constructor championship. Moving down in the standings would only continue a longtime trend of Ferrari not meeting expectations.
Add us as a preferred source on Google