Ferrari has done a great job this winter. Unfortunately, the Italian team is not yet actively competing for the drivers’ title, but there has been a significant step forward within the Maranello factory. In our view, the SF-26 is the best car Ferrari has produced in the past 10 years.
Comparison with the past
Between 2016 and 2018, the Maranello team was pursuing a project that appeared capable of challenging Mercedes, but the mistake made with the power unit in 2019 then deprived the Prancing Horse of any opportunity.
At that point, the team had no choice but to wait until 2022 for another chance. The car immediately showed potential, but the departure of Mattia Binotto and the subsequent arrival of Frédéric Vasseur effectively led the Scuderia to take a year-long sabbatical.
Ferrari’s biggest opportunity came in 2024. Not so much in terms of the drivers’ championship, but in the fight for the constructors’ title. Unfortunately, the development mistake made at Barcelona, that year compromised all the work, allowing McLaren to make a major comeback and subsequently triumph in the constructors’ championship, which also set it on course for a repeat in 2025 and the drivers’ title with Lando Norris.
A good foundation, but problems to solve
The SF-26 is certainly the best car Ferrari has built in recent years. Given the huge potential of Mercedes (it is the W17 that is damn strong, yet the Scuderia is still able to hold its own against it), the car has so far delivered performance for Hamilton and Leclerc at almost every track on the calendar. The only shortcomings so far have been Austria and Hungary, mainly because of the intense heat (read here).
Understanding the Pirelli tyres is a deficit the team must address, and if it can make equal progress on both the tyre and engine fronts, it could close the gap to Mercedes and fight for the drivers’ title in the coming seasons.
As we have said too many times already, the 2026 constructors’ championship could be an achievable target for Ferrari. However, just as in 2024, success will depend more on the mistakes its rivals may make than on the work the Maranello team can do.
Photo: Ferrari
