Charles Leclerc clarifies Ferrari’s ambitions in Miami, highlighting the relative strength of the updated SF-26 compared to Mercedes. The goal is clear: apply pressure on the Brackley team.
The SF-26 arrives in Miami ready to challenge the W17, while also keeping an eye on a potential comeback from McLaren. Leclerc knows exactly what to expect from the updated car and which approach to adopt on track to reopen the title fight and shift the balance.
The start of Ferrari’s 2026 season hasn’t been negative at all: compared to 2025, the SF-26 has proven competitive in many areas, with the only real limitation being the power unit. This remains the key area where work is needed to close the gap to Mercedes and Ford-powered systems, currently a step ahead.
Ferrari’s main strength, however, lies in aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics. The car excels in technical sections, where pure power matters less. The updates introduced in Miami go exactly in this direction, aiming to maximize aerodynamic efficiency to compensate for the engine deficit.
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During media day in Miami, Leclerc stated: “Mercedes have an advantage. I don’t expect that advantage to disappear completely this weekend and I still think they’ll be the strongest team. But if we can get just a bit closer and put them under more pressure in the races, then we can push them into mistakes and stay there until we have a car capable of beating them consistently.This confirms Ferrari’s strategy: apply constant pressure on the Silver Arrows until the introduction of the ADUO.
Work during April, meanwhile, was heavily focused on the simulator:
“I actually spent quite a few days at the factory, with a lot of simulator work, first of all to correlate what happened in the first three races with what we see in the simulator, so we can be sure that every development we bring can be tested and validated there, with the confidence it will behave the same in reality. Then we also did a lot of simulator sessions to test the updates we’re bringing for this race and define the direction for the next ones.”
Photos credits: Ferrari.com
