Ferrari staff’s mood turns sour
- Ferrari left Miami more rattled than encouraged after its 11-part SF-26 upgrade package failed to stop McLaren and Red Bull jumping ahead in raw pace. - Charles Leclerc finished fourth after a spin and 20-second penalty, while Lewis Hamilton came home seventh — despite Ferrari bringing Miami’s biggest update list. - That matters because Canada is next on May 22-24, and Ferrari now faces rivals still adding performance while Mercedes remains the benchmark.
Ferrari’s problem is not that the SF-26 suddenly became slow. It’s that Miami was supposed to be the weekend where Ferrari made the gap make sense — and instead the picture got worse. The team brought the biggest upgrade package in the field, then watched McLaren and Red Bull look like they had gained more from smaller or split updates. That is why the mood around Ferrari turned sour after Miami. It wasn’t just a bad result. It was a bad answer to a very important question. (f1oversteer.com) ### What was Ferrari trying to fix? Ferrari used the five-week break before Miami to roll out a major rework of the SF-26. The list was huge — 11 updated areas, including the front wing, floor, diffuser, rear wing, suspension and beam wing. Basically, this was not a trim change for one circuit. It was Ferrari trying to reset the car’s competitive ceiling. (planetf1.com) ### So why did Miami feel so bad? Because the headline result cut against the whole point of the package. Kimi Antonelli won for Mercedes, Lando Norris finished second for McLaren, Oscar Piastri took third, and Ferrari did not even make the podium. Leclerc ended up fourth after spinning while chasing Piastri and then taking a 20-second penalty for shortcutting corners with damage. Ha(planetf1.com)eventh-fastest vibes, people inside the garage are going to feel it. (formula1.com) ### Did McLaren and Red Bull really jump Ferrari? Pretty clearly, yes. McLaren won the sprint with Norris from pole in a one-two, and its Miami package was only part one of a broader update plan. Red Bull also looked more alive than before — enough that Verstappen’s pace in qualifying alarmed Ferrari even though his race unravel(formula1.com)irect rivals looked stronger. (f1oversteer.com) ### Why does that hit morale so hard? Because upgrade races are comparison tests. Teams do not judge a package in a vacuum. They judge it against what everyone else found over the same break. Ferrari had started 2026 looking like Mercedes’ main challenger, with podiums in the first three grands prix. Miami was supposed to reinfo(f1oversteer.com) doubt that spreads fast inside a factory and trackside team. (f1oversteer.com) ### Was this only about the car? No — and that is the catch. Miami also exposed how little margin Ferrari has when the car is not clearly second-best. Leclerc lost momentum with strategy timing, then overreached chasing the podium. Hamilton never really entered the front fight. A car that is merely decent forces cleaner execution everywhere else, and Ferrari did not get that either. So the frustration is part technical and part operational. (f1oversteer.com) ### Why does Canada matter now? Canada, on May 22-24, is the next real checkpoint. Ferrari needs to show Miami was track-specific noise, not proof that its big development swing missed. The pressure is sharper because McLaren is still rolling out more of its package there, while Mercedes remains the team everyone is chasing. Ferrari does not need panic yet — but it does need evidence. Fast. (formula1.com) ### Bottom line? Ferrari’s mood turned because Miami was supposed to bring clarity. It brought doubt instead. The upgrades were big, the gain was not, and now Canada looks less like the next race and more like an exam.
