By: The Woking team is starting to look threatening. Not so much to Mercedes, who, despite leading the championship, can no longer feel entirely comfortable, but above all to Ferrari. The SF-26 is quick and has strong race pace, even if it has some limitations, but the team does not always manage to maximise the potential of what it has at its disposal.
The reigning world champions, meanwhile, may not be as quick as Ferrari and Mercedes, but they are highly consistent, strike at the right moment and therefore get the most out of what they have.
The ghosts of 2024 return to Maranello
Lando Norris's victory in Hungary lifted morale, and yesterday's win at Zandvoort will undoubtedly give the team a further boost. Closing the gap to Mercedes looks difficult, but setting that detail aside, the season is in many respects looking very similar to 2024.
The leaders are showing some difficulties around the second half of the year, Ferrari, who had been second until then, would appear best placed to fully take on the role of principal challenger, but then McLaren suddenly emerge. In 2024, the story ended with the papaya team winning the constructors' championship and, even if things may unfold differently this year, Ferrari could still lose its status as Mercedes' main rival, effectively giving the Woking outfit fresh momentum for a productive winter that could bear fine fruit in spring 2027.
A second humiliation would be diabolical
The ghosts are returning to Maranello and anxiety is rising. Losing out to Mercedes might be forgiven, but being beaten by the same team for a second time would be diabolical. Especially for Ferrari.
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