By: The Ferrari team principal was right: the race pace of the two SF-26s speaks for itself. The Scuderia had the speed to win. Leclerc and Hamilton missed an opportunity, particularly Charles. The question is: why was the Maranello team unable to capitalise? The Zandvoort circuit exposed major limitations when it came to overtaking and, as we shall see, this was the only reason Ferrari could not fight for victory.
At the start of the race, during the opening stints, they lost a huge amount of time after being trapped in traffic because of their poor starting positions. But once strategy came into play and the SF-26s began to find clear air, their pace emerged.
Leclerc's pace was impressive
From the second stint onwards, Leclerc was the fastest driver on track across every compound supplied by Pirelli, alternating with Hamilton during the middle phase of the race. Charles outpaced his rivals on no fewer than 20 of the 72 laps completed. Nobody did better. Unfortunately, Ferrari played its cards poorly in qualifying and paid the price in the race.
Nevertheless, the pace shown at Zandvoort must offer a beacon of hope for the upcoming races. F1 will soon head to circuits such as Spain, Azerbaijan and Singapore: tracks where, in addition to outright speed, particularly at Baku, agility through slower sections will also be required. Ferrari has a chance at these venues, but it does not always optimise the package at its disposal effectively. This is an area on which it should focus more closely ahead of the next rounds.
Cover photo: Ferrari; inside photo: FIA
All the news, photos, weather, session times and times from the Dutch GP 2026
