This article provides an in-depth look at the British GP—expect a 15-17 minute read.

 

TL;DR: Scuderia Ferrari triumphant British weekend, technical details of the front-running cars, driving style descriptions, team news, the most important sessions analysis, Mercedes trick, and news related to the sport.

Circuit configuration

-The 2026 British GP- Silverstone Circuit:

-Length: 5.891m.

-Number of laps: 52.

-Number of turns: 18.

-Circuit type: Front limited, front left the highest stress.

-Downforce/aerodynamic efficiency: crucial.

-Tyre lateral stress: significant.

-Tyre wear: High.

-MJ limit: 6.5 MJ for qualifying and 8 MJ for the race. 0.5 MJ available for the attacking car within 1s= ~1.5s per lap quicker when used.

-Straight Mode zones: T18 to T1 striaght, T5 to T6 Wellington straight , T8 to T9 old start start/finish straight and T14 to T15 Hangar straight.

-Overtake mode detection: between T17 and T18.

-20s time loss for a normal pitstop and 10s under VSC/SC.

-Pirelli brought its most robust compound: C1-Hard. C2-Medium. C3-Soft.

Lewis Hamilton tackling T17-T18 at Silverstone

Weekend schedule

Sprint Qualifying uses SQ1/SQ2 medium, SQ3 (Softs).

-Sprint Qualy 3-8 minute length: Only one fast lap for the Ferrari duo as Lewis Hamilton pulled a classic lap around Silverstone to score his maiden Sprint pole of the season. The Briton aced S2 and S3 and set a 1:28.376, while Charles Leclerc ended up in P4 with a 1:28.703 +0.327.

-Sprint Race 17 Laps: Sunny, windy conditions, C4 compound for both Ferraris. Lewis had a slower start, allowing Antonelli to challenge into T1, but Hamilton stayed in front. Charles had a bad start, losing three positions and dropping to P7. Lewis edged in front in the first laps, but Kimi closed in on him and on lap 8 took the lead. Charles progressed to P6 on Piastri and was in a three-way battle with Verstappen and Russell for P4. On lap 11, Leclerc took P5 from the Dutch driver and pursued George. The second half of the Sprint saw Hamilton unable to get within 1s of Antonelli, while Leclerc chased Russell but couldn’t overtake. Lewis Hamilton crossed the finish line in P2, Charles Leclerc in P5.

-Qualifying 1-18 min(six drivers eliminated): Clear skies, hot asphalt and C3 used softs for the first two quick laps. Both drivers set a single push lap enough to progress to the next segment of qualifying.

-Qualifying 2-15 min(six drivers eliminated): A new set of C3 marked Pirelli for Lewis and Charles, and a single fast lap did it for the two: 1:28.864 for Hamilton and 1:29.069 for Leclerc. But they went out to prepare for Q3 and Leclerc lowered it to a 1:28.626, setting the best S2, while Hamilton didn’t improve on his initial try.

-Qualifying 3-13 min(10 drivers battle for pole position): 42°C track, almost no wind and two fresh sets of C3 softs for the Ferrari duo. First quick laps saw Lewis Hamilton set a 1:28.591 and Charles Leclerc a 1:28.620 to go P3 and P4 provisionally, although Lewis lost time in T3 with an error. In the final attempts, both bettered their banker laps. Charles Leclerc qualified 2nd with a 1:28.286 and best S1 time; Lewis Hamilton P3 with a 1:28.458 but had a bad S2.

• Race Start & Early laps- 52 laps: 40°C asphalt, minimal wind and C2 for start. Excellent starts from Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton saw them gain one place each and be 1-2 at the end of lap one. 2.3s covered the top three: Leclerc, Hamilton and Antonelli, but the gaps slightly started to increase. Charles built a 3s advantage over his teammate, who was under pressure from Kimi by lap 8; the Mercedes stayed within 1s of the front-left graining-suffering Ferrari. Reaching lap 15, Leclerc had a 4.5s lead over Antonelli, who was 1.5s in front of Hamilton, leading 4s Russell in P4.
• Middle-Race: As the laps went by, Charles' lead was narrowly reduced to 3.3s, while Hamilton lost ground to Antonelli, trailing by 7s, and pitted on lap 24. Lewis changed to C1 hard, but lost time as the pit crew waited to take the 5s time penalty for a false start, rejoining in P6. Two laps later, Leclerc stopped to install a set of C1 and rejoined in P2 with 5s over Norris, yet to pit. Lewis was encouraged on team radio: “You are P6, we are fighting for P3 podium”. Hamilton caught the duo ahead of him, Verstappen-Russell and had better pace. On lap 30, Lewis went for a move on the outside of the fast-paced Copse right-hander and was ahead, only to lose position on the Hangar straight having no ERS left. One lap ahead, Hamilton on T6 Brooklands moved him ahead of Russell, but again he lost the position on the next straight. Leclerc on fresher tyres matched Antonelli’s pace yet to pit in the lead. Lewis was in P4 as Russell pitted for a puncture, and attacked Verstappen but didn’t progress.
• Final laps: On lap 37, Leclerc was back in the lead with Antonelli pitting and leading by 7.5s, and managing his tyres; Lewis was up into P3, overtaking Verstappen into T6. Charles' lead was reduced by Kimi in P2 with 10 laps fresher hard Pirellis to 5s on lap 40. But on lap 42, Antonelli's charge was cut when he was hit by trouble, forcing him to pit and giving P2 to Lewis Hamilton, who had 7s over Verstappen in P3. Charles enjoyed a 20s gap to his teammate, although a late Safety Car nullified the advantage as both Ferraris pitted for a set of C3 soft compound. Leclerc kept P1, while Hamilton lost a position to not pitting George Russell, dropping to P3. With the race not restarting at full speed, the final laps were run under Safety Car with Charles Leclerc taking the first win of the season and the 9th of his career. Lewis Hamlinton finished in P3 after a post-race investigation, helping Ferrari score its first Leclerc-Hamilton double podium.
• Charles Leclerc P1: “It feels incredible. The end wasn’t what I dreamt of, but to win after some particularly difficult weekends, and all the work to get the feeling back with the car, is amazing. Friday night I found something between the Sprint and qualifying, but I had to confirm it today. And today the feeling was back where it needs to be, so I am incredibly happy. Austria wasn’t great, but there we put everything together. I hope I can keep the momentum going forward. Huge thanks to the team for working so hard. With Kimi it would’ve been close; he was very fast, and it would have been very difficult to keep first place; then I heard he had a problem, and I had a big gap, so it seemed straightforward. But then the Safety Car at the end, for whatever reason, I did all the Safety Car time at 120 km/h; my tyres were completely cold, so I was sceptical about the restart. It’s not great for the fans, but in the helmet I was kinda happy there is no restart to keep the win. It feels really good”.
• Lewis Hamilton P3: “Firstly, big big congratulations to Charles. Winning this GP is such a special experience, and this is a great result for our team. So congrats to the team. Yeah, I didn’t have it today. I jumped the start and got the 5s penalty, but Charles had the pace. I struggled with the car balance, but I gave it everything, and I am grateful to be up here. It looks like it (taking the fight to Mercedes). I am not sure what happened to Kimi, but the team is doing a phenomenal job. We still have some work  to do to close the gap on pure performance, but with these results, you know 2 wins for the team this year, it’s fantastic”.

Charles Leclerc celebrates his maiden win of the 2026 season, 9th career victory.

Technical analysis of the cars

With the race weekend covered, let’s take a look at each of the top teams' new and modified/adapted components for the GP. Since it was a Sprint weekend format with only one practice session, many teams opted to bring minimal changes to their vehicles.

-Scuderia Ferrari: SF-26. One new component officially listed on the FIA updates for the British GP. Although not talked about as much, updates brought in previous events improved the overall pace of the car.

• Front wing: An adjusted version debuted in Austria, but with subtle changes to improve the aero balance.
• Front brakes: Modified brake ducts to aid cooling and add downforce through the complex channels.
• Wakeboards/bargeboards: A single vertical vane was used after it was tested in Austria and used in Great Britain. The aim is to improve the overall aero efficiency for the low-drag circuit.
• Wing mirror: Shorter mirror vertical stay, connected to the sidepod, debuted in Austria.
• Floor: Tested in Austria, a low-drag specification was used during the British GP, improving the overall pace.
• Rear brakes: Enlarged cooling exit inlet of the brake ducts and updated winglets to improve the aero balance and downforce load.
• Rear wing: An evolution of the “Macarena” wing, consisting of skinnier elements to aid drag reduction and diffuser flow improvement.
• FTM (flick tail mode) wing: Planned to run without the component, but after analysis, it would’ve been worse than with it off. Still, a minimal version was used at Silverstone to lower the drag, keeping its benefits.
• Energy Recovery System (ERS): A software update introduced at Barcelona aimed to improve the recharge/deployment, plus a boost on the PU hardware (Canal +). A hidden detail is that the MGU-K received upgraded batteries weighing 1 kg less, closing the minimum weight gap and helping engineers use ballast to optimise the vehicle dynamic balance.
• Chassis and Power Unit: At Silverstone, the whole assembly ran at full power, thanks to lower ambient temperatures and an optimised specification.
• Cooling: Tighter engine cover and minimal cooling louvres required for Silverstone’s colder weather.
• Cornering/downforce: Unmatched cornering pace through the high-speed corners and the excellent downforce suited perfectly for the Silverstone layout.
• Top speed/drag: On Friday, it had the best top speed on speed traps, but for Saturday and Sunday it fell slightly in the order.

All the less-pointed updates from previous rounds, plus the latest modifications at Silverstone, delivered a 15 kW = 24 HP power boost, with all the components contributing to the effect.

-Mercedes: W17. Only track-specific components for the Silverstone high-speed configuration.

• ERS: Mercedes struggled with ERS deployment on Friday, but improved after taking Ferrari-inspired mappings.
• Chassis and Power Unit: The upgraded version introduced in Austria, with improvements on batteries for reliability reasons, produced a ~ 5 HP gain.
• Cornering/downforce: The stronger wind on Friday affected its performance.

-McLaren Mercedes: MCL40. One new official FIA-listed component for the home GP.

• Front brakes: New components to comply with the low drag specific to the Silverstone layout.
• Wakeboards/bargeboards: A modified, simpler version adapting to the circuit's high-speed nature, improving the aero load.
• Floor: Front leading-edge modifications to a rounder set of teeth, to reduce the drag of the MCL40 around Silverstone.
• Rear wing: Different configurations between the practice session and the Sprint qualifying, using changes to the active aero actuator and endplates.
• ERS: To Andrea Stella’s surprise, they didn’t use the ERS trick, because they weren’t aware of it.
• Chassis and Power Unit: Running the older PU spec, because it’s off-cycle to other Mercedes-powered cars, impacted the pace at Silverstone. At the Belgian Grand Prix, the upgraded Mercedes PU is expected to make its debut.
• Top speed/drag: The high drag of the car played a notable role at Silverstone’s demanding low drag zones.

-Red Bull Racing: RB22. 1 FIA-updated component listed for the 9th round of the season.

• Rear suspension: In Austria, the fairings have been reshaped to better feed the updated upstream flow, improving stability and adding load.
• Rear brakes: Updated brake ducts and winglets to improve cooling and revised the number of cascade elements to improve the load and stability.
• Rear wing: Amended pylons' shape, aiming to extract more load and improve stability between the mainplane underside and pylons. Visible Guerney flap on top of the upper element to add tiny extra downforce. After the double failings at the Austrian and British GPs for Verstappen’s unfortunate offs, reports indicate that the upside rear wing will be dropped for the next round at Belgium for safety concerns.
• Cornering/downforce: In the high-speed corners, it can’t match the likes of SF-26 or W17.
• Top speed/drag: The lower drag and the strong PU boosted its velocity on straights.

Charles Leclerc negotiating T6 Brooklands.

Drivers and Team

A look into Scuderia’s race weekend performance, debriefing the most important sessions and data, presenting the charts on fastest laps and pit stops.

In Friday practice, Lewis Hamilton gained time by not braking from T7 Luffield to T15 Stowe, optimising ERS recovery with lift-and-coast and strong cornering speed.

-Sprint Qualifying debrief: Lewis Hamilton vs Kimi Antonelli lap comparison: Antonelli was quicker through Village and the Loop, leading by 0.1s into T6 Brooklands. Lewis responded, attacking the corner aggressively, going narrowly ahead only for Kimi to respond out of T7 Luffield, but Hamilton deployed more ERS on the old start-finish straight, going ahead. Flat out through Copse T8 and only lifted until T16 Vale, although Antonelli replied on the Hangar straight, using ERS. But hesitation on braking for the final turns cost him the pole, while Lewis didn’t have the best line through T17, two corrections costing him time, but the momentum was still sufficient to cross the line 0.011 ahead of the Mercedes driver. Leclerc’s braking uncertainty and an error in the final part of the lap cost the Monegasque 0.3s to qualify in P4.

-Sprint summary: Lewis Hamilton’s strong start wasn’t enough to hold back the faster Mercedes, particularly on straights. The SF-26 MGU-K limitations meant it couldn’t match Mercedes ERS deployment, using more through S2, but it came with a downside on the S3 Hangar straight, having nothing to discharge, leaving both Ferrari drivers powerless to defend or attack, in Charles’s case.

-Qualifying debrief: Friday and Sprint learnings helped both Ferrari drivers challenge for pole position, boosted by recent car improvements. Leclerc’s final try in Q3 was error-free, but lacking ERS on the last segment of the lap cost him P1. Hamilton matched Charles on S1, but due to an ERS issue, it slowed him on S2, losing around 0.3, but Lewis reiterated afterwards that on S3 it come back and nothing would’ve changed the outcome.

Charles Leclerc vs Kimi Antonelli laps comparison: Kimi was ahead on the start-finish straight T1-T2, but from T3, Charles took the lead, maintaining a 0.1 advantage through T6 Brooklands. Antonelli closed the gap through T7 Luffield, as Charles deployed more energy on the old finish-start straight and edged ahead into T8 Copse. Through T9-T13 Maggots, Becketts, Leclerc was still ahead, only on the exit of Chapel T14 Kimi to take the lead for good. On the Hangar straight, the Mercedes driver increased the advantage (ERS use and 7th gear to recharge for the last corners). Braking for T16 Vale left-hander, Charles reduced the gap with an aggressive-confident approach, and on the last two turns T17-T18 Club right-handers, despite best efforts, couldn’t do more, qualifying P2. Lewis, despite the ERS problem, carried superior speed to Charles on high-speed corners like the T9-T14 sequence, but couldn’t recover the time.

-Race analysis: After the Sprint, both drivers adjusted set-ups within Parc Ferme limits. Leclerc opted for slighlty forward aero balance, lighter rear, improved ERS depolyment. Lewis went in the opposite direction with the aero balance, to protect the fronts, inducing understeer, having difficulties on the high-speed sections, leading to increased tyre wear, especially C2 medium. Leclerc's first stint on C2 medium was strong, keeping Antonelli at 3-4s adrift. Hamilton struggled with front-left graining in the early laps, limiting his pace and dropping from Charles, losing one position to Antonelli.

After the two switched to C1 hard rubber, the rhythm was consistent, but no match for the 10-lap-younger similar tyres Kimi, who lapped even 0.5 seconds faster than leading Leclerc. Though Charles wasn’t pushing at that time, saving tyres, expecting to fight Antonelli. Lewis, after he served his time penalty, had superior pace to the cars around him, but couldn’t progress due to late-lap power limitations. Hamilton advanced into P2 with Russell’s puncture and overtaking Verstappen. But the late Safety Car and its prolonged stay dropped the Briton to P2; he, like Leclerc, pitted for a set of C3 soft Pirellis, anticipating a dash to the line which never came. Charles adapted well to the car's low-drag configuration and showed confidence on braking, turning and improved throttle application out of corners. Also, he learned from his teammate ERS’s superiority and went into his set-up direction after the simulator feedback missed the mark.

Scuderia Ferrari celebrations after the race.

-Fastest laps top three and the two Ferraris:

Driver-Team-Lap	Lap time-(compound)	Gap
**1.**Kimi Antonelli-Mercedes on lap 37	1:31.777 (H)	Fastest
2. Max Verstappen- Red Bull Racing on lap 40	1:32.101 (H)	+0.324s
3. Isack Hadjar- Red Bull Racing on lap 40	1:32.268 (H)	+0.491s
4. Lewis Hamilton- Ferrari on lap 25	1.32.309 (H)	+0.532
8th fastest Charles Leclerc- Ferrari on lap 43, but managing the pace.	1:32.871 (H)	+1.094s

The British GP race pace, top 5 drivers:

Driver-Team	Tyres	Gap
Charles Leclerc-Ferrari	M-H-S	Fastest
Kimi Antonelli-Mercedes	M-H-M	+0.20s
George Russell- Mercedes	M-H-M	+0.22s
Max Verstappen- Red Bull Racing	M-H-M	+0.26s
Lewis Hamilton- Ferrari	M-H-S	+0.30s

-Pit stops: Scuderia Ferrari pit team delivered steady and fast stops during the British GP for both drivers.

• On lap 25, Charles Leclerc's pit stop was 2.39s, and Lewis Hamilton's tyre change on lap 48 was 2.49s, making them the 6th- and 7th-fastest. The other stops were between 2.49s and 8.80s due to Lewis taking his 5s time penalty on the second pit stop.
• Mercedes had the quickest stops for George Russell on lap 34 (2.18s) and Kimi Antonelli on lap 35 (2.30s), the same time as for Racing Bull’s Liam Lawson on lap 47, covering the top three.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc driving styles

• Charles Leclerc likes a car with a prompt front end/enormous oversteer and a volatile/unpredictable rear to apply his braking technique optimally. Leclerc doesn’t completely close the throttle while turning, using it as a trail brake to quicken the rotation, balancing weight distribution and carrying more speed.
• Lewis Hamilton enjoys a stable rear, allowing him to brake as deep as possible into corners, inflicting understeer if not managed through the turning phase.
• SF-26 in its debut version, until the Miami GP, where it received the first aero upgrade, was closer to Leclerc's driving style. After the Florida round, the racecar rear gained more downforce, shifting the aero balance towards a neutral, stable rear end.
• The second major upgrade at Barcelona made SF-26 generate even more rear downforce, shifting the balance further into Hamilton’s territory, but the ERS update compensated that for Charles.
• That forced Leclerc to overdrive the car until Silverstone, where he found a direction with the car set-up to help him adapt to the new demands. But as the Monegasque told the media: “On Friday I found something on data. It's only a first step and a lot of hard work went on behind the scenes”.
• Naturally, to get a fast racing car, a solid front and light rear are the optimal ways because of the benefits: faster rotation into corners, more speed maintained through corners (braking/apex/exit), and the most lap time is extracted over a lap rather than straights.
• But these 2026 cars (implied by the rules) are inclined for better development with a lazier front-end and a firm rear, due to the tripled ERS's increased impact on the rear axle.
• Prior to the British GP, the Monegasque stated that he had two options for driving: either copy Lewis' driving style or keep his driving style but adapt to the car; he chose the 2nd option.
• The latest ERS upgrade changed the power delivery more to Leclerc’s liking, feeling the acceleration out of the corners, but also adapted his driving to the new demand.
• Ferrari is more than likely to keep this approach to car upgrades, with another major package expected later in the season.
• This type of racing car under the current rules (particularly ERS) is better suited to drivers who use a closer-to-traditional driving style like Hamilton, rather than driving on the edge like Leclerc or Verstappen.

Frederic Vasseur's hard work pays off.

• Despite a 2025 season below expectations, the move to change the focus on the 2026 challenger from early April of last year started to pay dividends for the risk taken.
• Close people around the team indicate that Vasseur, thanks to the upward form of the team both on track and in development, gave him more freedom.
• Drivers and top personnel from other teams no longer hesitate or fear about the tough setting at Ferrari and consider future proposals to join the team, particularly engineers.
• Operationally, Scuderia Ferrari is at a solid level, improved from past years and close to the period of 2008 (last constructors' title) or 2018 when it was in contention for both titles against Mercedes.

Scuderia Ferrari new milestone reached: 250 F1 wins. Marking 75 years since Froilan Gonzalez took the marque's first triumph.

"It's more crucial that Ferrari wins. It doesn't matter who's driving it. As long as Ferrari wins".Enzo Anselmo Ferrari.

News and Notes

-The 2026 British Grand Prix notes: Mercedes continued its impressive form at Silverstone, but faced difficulties on Friday with the car set-ups (too much front-end downforce) and on ERS deployment, which was below the norm and learned from Ferrari’s. On Saturday, as the Parc Ferme rules allow, interventions on ERS mappings improved the pace, plus the PU trick explained below. Kimi Antonelli was the fastest driver over the weekend, but luck went against him. Although Antonelli used it ideally from Saturday to give him the pole by 0.1 over Leclerc, as the two were neck-and-neck out of T17. Antonelli’s talent and progress mark him as Italy’s best F1 prospect in decades.

The debate surrounding the Brackley-based squad centred on how it found a legal way to regain performance from a previously banned ERS tactic. Under the current rules, at the end of a lap, the ERS power must drop by 50 kW/s. Mercedes found a loophole to bypass the ramp down, allowing them to use the 350 kW for longer. How and why did the Mercedes team this technique?

• The rulebook states 2 distinctive exemptions where the 50 kW/s drop doesn’t apply:

1. When the driver power demand is negative (lift-off).
2. When V6 power is negative, requiring ERS to reduce the output matching that demand.

To simplify it, the driver deliberately lifts off the throttle before the finish line, creating a negative power demand and lengthening the 350 kW usage without gradually losing ERS power. This trade-off cost Antonelli Friday's Sprint pole by 0.011 over Hamilton for lifting off before the finish line. Had he stayed full throttle and risked breaching the ramp-down rule, he would’ve been on pole, but it would’ve caused an illegal lap and potential disqualification. For Saturday’s qualifying, both Mercedes drivers used the trick.

Jonathan Noble from The-Race.com observed the telemetry and the behaviour of the Mercedes drivers, lifting off the throttle before the finish line on a flying lap.

Silverstone’s configuration allows for this trick because the run-down from the last corner to the finish line is short (~100 m) and the time loss is minimal, maximising the net power use. FIA deemed the technique legal, as the power drop is not more than 50 kW/s.

Power Unit mileage covered.

• Prior to the British Grand Prix, The-Race.com offered the kilometers ran by each of the teams in the 2026 season.
• Most of the outfits have installed their 3rd out of the 4 allowed Power Units due to various reasons. Some for reliability concerns, others for upgrades or because of mileage reached.
• McLaren couldn’t utilise the latest Mercedes PU battery-upgraded spec at Silverstone, because the current V6 has more mileage to cover.
• Alpine and Williams, the other Mercedes PU customer teams, used the latest spec, bar Albon, who installed the in-use Internal Combustion Engine at Barcelona.
• The mileage of each of the 11 teams is:

TOTAL DISTANCE COVERED IN 2026 SO FAR

1. FERRARI 12.235km
2. MERCEDES 11.548km
3. ALPINE 11.165km
4. HAAS 10.912km
5. RED BULL 10.486km
6. RACING BULLS 10.327km
7. MCLAREN 10.267km
8. AUDI 10.053km
9. WILLIAMS 10.040km
10. CADILLAC 8.121km
11. ASTON MARTIN 7.932km

Audi takes one ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities)

• Mattia Binotto, Audi Team Principal, called on ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) for power units.
• The Italian considers the current use of the system not the best, as Mercedes, despite being a dominant force, can bring updates to its Power Unit. And Mattia suggests the ADUO be different.
• Binotto suggested the ADUO system should adopt a similar approach to wind tunnel and CFD allocations, which reset every six months based on championship position, to ensure fairer opportunities for all manufacturers.

Toto Wolff's attack on Ferrari development

• After the Austrian GP, the Mercedes Team Principal pointed the finger at the Italian team for its aggressive and efficient car evolution during the 2026 season.
• The Austrian believes the 2nd-placed team in the teams' championship should soon run out of money to further develop its SF-26 and to comply with the budget cap limit.
• Mercedes brought 17 declared new components and a major package in Canada, while Ferrari supplied 32 individual parts and two major aero configurations in Florida and Barcelona.
• Mercedes “borrowed” knowledge from its former Formula E team, which is so crucial under the current regulations.
• He suspects Ferrari may be closer to the top than recent results show.

The top three finishers at the British GP.

Next Grand Prix

• The 10th round of the 2026 season, the Belgian GP takes place around the Ardennes forest on the most spectacular and one of the most driver-favourite circuits on the calendar: Spa-Francorchamps. The longest track presents a challenging task for the optimal set-up, with S1 and S3 testing the aero efficiency, while S2 favours peak downforce; finding the ideal compromise to get the optimal set-up is crucial.

Sources/references: AutoRacer.it, Autosport.com. The-Race.com, Canal +(through Instagram), F1DataAnalysis Facebook Page and other reputable F1 news outlets. Trustworthy YouTube channels (F1 Official, MotorsportCast, Peter Windsor, etc) and technical pages. Photos: Courtesy of Scuderia Ferrari and F1 Official Facebook pages.

This article provides an in-depth look at the Austrian GP—expect an 11-12 minute read.

 

TL;DR: Austrian GP race details, Scuderia Ferrari showing over the weekend, technical insights of the top four teams and news relating to the series.

Circuit configuration

 

-The 2026 Austrian GP- Red Bull Ring Circuit:

-Length: 4.318 m.

-Number of laps: 71.

-Number of turns: 10.

-Circuit type: Situated at 700m altitude. A medium to low downforce circuit. Sector one aero efficiency: Crucial. Sector two: aero efficiency and downforce. Sector three: mostly downforce.

-Braking stability: important.

-Tyre wear: low.

-MJ limit: 6MJ for qualifying. 8 MJ for the race with overtake mode off and 8.5 MJ with it on.

-Straight Mode zones: T10 to 1; T1 to T3; T3 to T4; T8 to T9.

-Overtake mode detection: before T10. Overtake mode: 0.5 MJ extra within the following car.

-Pit time loss: 20s in racing conditions. And 10s under VSC/SC.

-Pirelli brought its softest compound: C3-Hard. C4-Medium. C5-Soft.

Charles Leclerc Ferrari SF-26, exiting T1 at the Red Bull Ring.

Weekend schedule

A view on the Austrian GP's most important sessions and how things developed for the Ferrari drivers.

-Qualifying 1-18 min(six drivers eliminated): 52°C scorching asphalt temperature, clear skies and C5 softs for both drivers single push lap. The attempts were enough to promote the duo into Q2.

-Qualifying 2-15 min(six drivers eliminated): A fresh set of soft Pirellis for the first quick laps, and both Ferrari drivers lowered the lap time from Q1. Charles and Lewis went for a second run on the same set, with only Hamilton bettering his effort to reach into the 1:06s.

-Qualifying 3-13 min(10 drivers battle for pole position): Two new C5 sets red walled tyres for both drivers. After the first fast laps, Leclerc set a 1.06.756 +0.342 from P1. Hamilton aborted his push lap due to an error at T3. Second quick laps saw them improve their banker laps. Charles Leclerc set a personal best of 1.06.349 +0.236, and Lewis Hamilton a 1.06.408 +0.295. Initially, it was a P1 and P2 before Russell’s late lap demoted them to P2 and P3.

• Race Start & Early laps: On a very hot track, both Ferraris started on C4 mediums. Leclerc held P2 off the line but lost out after challenging Russell, with Hamilton moving up. The Ferraris settled into P2 and P3 but soon lost positions to Antonelli and Verstappen, with Leclerc dropping to P5. A highlight was Hamilton’s intense wheel-to-wheel fight with Verstappen from Turn 3 to Turn 7: Hamilton defended robustly, reclaiming his position after being passed into T3, then outbraking Verstappen on the run to T4, forcing Max wide at T6, but leaving enough space to edge ahead of the Dutch out of T7. Both Ferraris pitted early for C3s, rejoining in the midfield.
• Middle-Race: Both Ferraris regained positions after pit stops, but struggled for pace compared to rivals. Hamilton lost out to Verstappen and later pitted under a Virtual Safety Car, switching to C5 softs. Leclerc fell further behind, losing places to Antonelli, Piastri, and Hamilton, and made another stop for C3 hard rubber to try to recover. Hamilton, now on C3 Pirelli, chased Piastri for P4 but couldn't progress, while Leclerc set the fastest lap before dropping back.
• Final laps: Leclerc lost further positions to Piastri, Hamilton, Hadjar, and Norris due to inconsistent pace and tyre issues, ultimately finishing P8. Hamilton held on to P5, unable to close the gap to the cars ahead.
• Lewis Hamilton P5: “It didn’t work on any tyres. We struggled on pace; the degradation was high, much worse than anticipated. I thought it was going to be like that. I told the team, and they’ve said it was going to be a two-stop, but I don’t think I am going to make it work. That first stint trying to hold with George was… Mostly we struggled with power. But it was a tough race, and tough with this hot temperature. I had an ok start. I attacked Charles, and it didn’t look so bad. But the rears went away, and the balance was off. Today, the grip was not there. But I am grateful for the hard work in the pit stops. I am pleased that we scored well. We have to push really hard for the next power upgrade. Their deployment (Mercedes) at the end (of the straights) is like they keep going forever. We need to look at why and how to achieve that. I am looking forward to Silverstone; I love that place”.
• Charles Leclerc P8: “Qualifying was a step forward from yesterday; I felt better in the car, and I got a positive feeling. In the race we went back to struggling; we’ve got to work and understand what’s going on there. But today was a pretty bad race. I went in a set-up direction yesterday similar to 2025. But today the rear slides a lot, overheating the tyres. At Barcelona, we brought an upgrade, and the car was one of the strongest, but I believe it’s not only about that. These cars are sensitive to changes. You don’t get the right set-up, and you pay a massive price on race day”.

 

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari SF-26, tackling T3 around the Spielberg based circuit.

Technical analysis of the cars

With the race weekend covered, let’s take a look at each of the top teams' new and modified/adapted components for the GP.

-Scuderia Ferrari: SF-26. 4 new components for the 8th round of the season brought by the Italian team.

• Front brakes: Rear-facing (backwards) brake callipers lower the centre of gravity, improve airflow and help manage heat. By mounting the callipers lower, the car achieves better dynamic balance, notably on high-speed corners. It also affects how the heat is transferred to the wheel rim, helping control tyre temperature. Placing the calliper closer to the steering axis makes the steering more responsive into corners.
• Wakeboards/bargeboards: A single vertical element was tested by Hamilton in FP1 to improve the aerodynamic set-up.
• Sidepods: Smallest admissions and radiators of the top four cars, which impacts the engine cooling.
• Floor: At the front of the floor, the bib (structural support connecting the floor to the chassis) received a minor alteration. Two small winglet-shaped vortex generators were added, designed to guide airflow toward the centre of the floor and aid aero efficiency.
• Diffuser: The diffuser’s “mouse hole”(a small opening that manages the airflow under the car) was redesigned at Barcelona to enhance rear-end downforce and overall aerodynamic performance.
• FTM (flick tail mode)-wing: In Austria during FP1, Beganovic ran the car without the component to analyse the effects on the car; as for 2027, this part is banned.
• Energy Recovery System (ERS): Updated in Canada, it removed engine braking to 0, which suited Leclerc’s aggressive turn-in approach. Starting in Barcelona, he adapted to the system's new characteristics, but still, more refinement is required before reaching a comfortable feel. The ERS recharge/deployment performance improved.
• Chassis and Power Unit: An overall 6-8 HP is the estimated gain for the V6 engine upgrade called the ADUO 1, thanks to component modifications (4-5 HP) and the new Shell biofuel (2-3 HP). The steel cylinder head allows the ICE (internal combustion engine) to operate at even higher temperatures, from 100°C to over 115°C. This leads to better fuel combustion and efficiency, prompting less fuel needed over a race distance.
• Cooling: The rear brakes were modified to improve cooling in the Catalan round. The inner element was slightly adjusted to aid cooling and airflow. Alongside the brakes, a new rear wheel rim debuted in Barcelona, helping keep the rear's temperature in the working window.
• Cornering/downforce: In qualifying, Leclerc was the fastest on most of the corners, and equally with Russell’s W17 in others.
• Top speed/drag: The worst top speed of the top four cars, hindered by the PU overheating, higher altitude circuit forcing the smaller turbo overspinning.

-Mercedes: W17. It brought two components to suit the Red Bull Ring circuit demands for the German outfit.

• Front suspension: The upper rear-leg wishbone angle was adjusted to improve the airflow to the rear of the car.
• Front brakes: Forward-placed callipers indicate how the different positioning impacts the cornering and tyre temperatures.
• Diffuser: Removed the controversial teeth/egg-like rearward elements to comply with FIA’s new regulations. Now sporting little tabs in the trailing edge upper section of the component.
• ERS: A temporary fix was introduced in Austria to remedy the battery failures in recent races. A permanent fix is believed to take place towards the end of the season, or even longer.
• Chassis and Power Unit: The previous PU failures (batteries) were most likely caused by the MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic) suffering during intense, long battles between the two drivers. Reports indicate microelectrical shortages led to MGU-K/batteries failing. In qualifying, particularly Q3, it uses a mode reminiscent of the “party mode” utilised in 2017-2018.
• Cornering/downforce: Remains the benchmark on traction out of slow-speed turns.
• Top speed/drag: Fastest overall, despite lower top speed.

-McLaren Mercedes: MCL40. Delivered 2 circuit-specific parts at the Spielberg-based circuit.

• Rear wing: An upside-down rear wing (Ferrari/Red Bull Racing-like) was anticipated to be evaluated for eventual usage later in the season. But the Papaya team opted for the traditional version.
• Chassis and Power Unit: The continuous trouble integrating the Mercedes Power Unit into the chassis inclines the Woking-based outfit to produce its own motor. It can’t use the same advanced mappings as the factory Mercedes, hurting its speed, especially in qualifying.
• Cornering/downforce: It doesn’t excel in either, but it had better tyre degradation than SF-26 in Austria, boosting its pace.
• Top speed/drag: Higher drag than direct competitors, due to the shorter wheelbase.

-RedBullRacing: RB22. A second major upgrade package for the Austrian outfit at their home race, trying to close the gap to the frontrunners, consisting of 7 new elements.

• Front suspension: The fairings around the structural elements have been slightly adjusted. But a more notable change was observed on the rear leg upper wishbone inboard pick-up point. It has a sculpted downward direction towards the car body. Opposite to direct competitors' development.
• Wakeboards/bargeboards: A reworked wakeboard inspired by Ferrari’s SF-26. The leading edge elements around the front of the floor are like wings oriented upwards. Other parts aren’t clearly visible and are yet to be understood in their role. But all this section aims to work together with the front suspension, sidepods, and the rear corner of the floor. The main target is to enhance the medium-speed corners.
• Sidepods: Admission inlets redesigned, displaying P-shaped, tighter openings. And reshaped sidepods, removing the deep undercut, now presenting almost a vertical cliff alongside the car. Larger radiators than SF-26, aiding engine cooling.
• Floor: Heavy modifications at the rear leading edge, taking inspiration from rivals Mercedes and Ferrari. A new slot appeared in front of the rear tyres, and rounder edges. The aim is to enlarge the optimal car set-up window and minimise the ride-height sensitivity.
• Diffuser: Barely notable changes on the inner side elements (near the rear wheel) and cutouts on the lower and edge sections.
• FTM (flick tail mode) wing: Further evolution of the component, sporting a more pronounced winglet to block the exhaust gases and a bracket support to add downforce.
• Chassis and Power Unit: Indicators hint it has the largest turbo of all Power Unit producers, helping at top-end speed on the straights, but not ideal on low-speed sections.
• Cornering/downforce: Prior to the substantial upgrade at Spielberg, it suffered from high rear degradation.
• Top speed/drag:  It had the best top speed and aero efficiency at the Austrian GP.
• Weight: It reached the minimum mass limit; the lighter racer's weight in Spielberg is considered to be worth 0.2s-0.3s.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc fighting for position during the Austrian GP race.

Drivers and Team

A look into the driver's performance at the Austrian GP and the team’s trajectory in the season.

SF-26 upgraded version

• The evolution of the Scuderia’s racer since Australia to the 7th round of the season, at Catalunya, is worth estimating a gain of 0.7-0.8s per lap, according to the team’s race engineers. According to Autoracer.it and The-Race.com, Ferrari qualifies in the 6%-8% (over 25 HP deficit) ADUO margin for Power Unit improvements, benefitting from $ 6.3 million extra on the Power Unit Budget Cap.

Barcelona-Catalunya race pace and details

• Thanks to an excellent article by Mark Hughes on MotorsportMagazine.com on 24.06.2026, the reasons for Ferrari’s faster Barcelona GP pace were revealed.
• Despite many suggestions indicating that the biggest factor in the improved speed of the SF-26 at Catalunya was the new rear-wheel rim, which helped prevent the tyres from overheating on long runs, the overall picture points to other factors.
• As the ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrades Opportunities) for Power Unit improvements was made public after Monaco, some teams ran their PUs below their real potential. But with the Index of Performance proving the pecking order from best to worst, and Ferrari earning 2 upgrades for 2026 and 2 for 2027, it could run its motor at full speed.
• The major aero upgrade improved the car on medium-high-speed turns, reducing the drag and bettering tyre degradation. Speaking of tyre degradation, it made another step, but still couldn’t match Mercedes.
• On the most plausible comparison stint on the same tyre compound, C1 first stint, the degradation on Hamilton’s SF-26 was 0.1s worse than that of the two Mercedes drivers. But the situation improved later in the race, once the track rubbered more and the cars got lighter, with fuel burned.
• On C2 medium, the scenario went in Ferrari’s favour, but that was kind of exaggerated as Antonelli and Russell (plus, for George, a front wing flap adjustment, which made the car understeer) fought for position, which cost them around 11s. Eliminating that, the true gap between Lewis and George would’ve been around 7s.
• Scuderia’s challenge to Mercedes at Barcelona was possible thanks to all the improvements around the car, not strictly because of one in particular.

A look into Scuderia’s race weekend performance, debriefing the most important sessions and data, presenting the charts on fastest laps and pit stops.

• Qualifying debrief: After Friday’s Free Practice sessions, a considerable set-up change on both cars took place to address the lack of pace. The draggy car body hurt the speed against the likes of Mercedes W17 and Red Bull Racing RB22 on the Red Bull Ring’s long full-throttle zones. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton set personal best times in their final tries. Leclerc made a significant step in qualifying and matched his teammate for most of the lap. Hamilton’s only fast lap in Q3 was a valuable attempt, qualifying only 0.059 seconds behind the sister car. Leclerc vs Russell lap comparison: Approaching T1, Charles was in front, but George opted to attack the turn more easily, saving ERS to deploy it on the straight to T3. Leclerc was 0.1 adrift, and the gap slightly increased on the next acceleration heading into T4. Charles didn’t have the most optimal line into the corner, and Russell edged further away. T6-T7, SF-26 downforce superiority helped to reduce the time loss. Out of T8, Russell sprinted ahead, increasing the gap to 0.2, and lifted on the yellow-flagged T9 to keep the same advantage. Before the final T10, Charles marginally closed in, but had no answer to the finish line to qualify in P2 +0.2s behind.
• Race debrief: Tyre degradation and power shortage took a hit on both drivers' speed during the Austrian race. Hamilton, in the early laps, tried to keep up with George in the lead, but by doing so, the rears quickly faded away, as well as in Charles’s case. Switching from C4 medium to C3 for both was even worse, and Lewis’s try on C5 softs marginally improved the pace. And for the last stint on C3, the situation repeated: the rear tyres overheated, degraded, and made the car slide. Charles opted to take a set of C5 for the final laps, to at least have a better feel of the car. The SF-26's higher drag than competitors was exacerbated because of the extra cooling vents on the engine cover. Alongside that, the Power Unit overheated (MGU-K), affecting the ERS deployment as the batteries didn’t deliver the optimal capacity. On the first stint on C4, the time loss wasn’t as bad, but on C3, both stints, running on free air, Lewis dropped 0.6s behind the leading cars. And on top of it, the set-up choice wasn’t ideal for either of the two drivers. Leclerc opted for a more aggressive front-end load, leaving the rear lighter. The good side of it brought finer pace over one lap.
• Race pace- teams:

1. Red Bull Racing: Max Verstappen quickest.  Tyres: M-H-H.
2. Mercedes- George Russell/Kimi Antonelli +0.007s/+0.11s. Tyres: M-H-H.
3. Ferrari- Lewis Hamilton/Charles Leclerc +0.28s/+0.31s. Tyres: M-H-S-H/M-H-H-S.
4. McLaren- Oscar Piastri/Lando Norris +0.29s/+0.42s. Tyres: M-H-H.

• Fastest laps- drivers:

1. Kimi Antonelli- Mercedes on lap 59 1:10.374. (H)
2. Max Verstappen- Red Bull Racing on lap 57 1:10.483 +0.109. (H)
3. Oscar Piastri- McLaren Mercedes on lap 45 1:10.595 +0.221. (H)
4. Charles Leclerc- Ferrari on lap 67 1:10.606 +0.232. (S)/Lewis Hamilton (7th fastest)- Ferrari on lap 45 1:10.945 +0.572 (H).

• Pitstops: Scuderia Ferrari's pit crew delivered fast and consistent tyre changes at the Austrian GP for the two drivers. Lewis Hamilton pitted on lap 18, a 2.05 tyre change (2nd fastest) and Charles Leclerc on lap 37, a 2.21 stop (4th quickest). The other stops ranged between 2.24 and 3.75s, the slowest mark. Racing Bulls produced the fastest tyre change on lap 18, a 2.03 switch for Arvid Lindblad.

"It's more crucial that Ferrari wins. It doesn't matter who's driving it. As long as Ferrari wins".Enzo Anselmo Ferrari.

News and Notes

-The 2026 Austrian Grand Prix notes: Qualifying. The pole lap was presented in the team qualifying debrief segment. Race. George Russell took his 2nd win of the season in front of Max Verstappen and his teammate Kimi Antonelli, reducing the gap in the drivers' championship. Russell led for most of the race, but had a few questions about the right strategy. And in the closing laps, he faced a less expected challenge from Verstappen in the upgraded RB22. But didn’t put a foot wrong despite the late charge of the two behind.

George Russell celebrating his 7th F1 win on top of his Mercedes w17.

New team's interest

• Swirling around the news that Toyota and BYD car manufacturers are interested in joining F1. But the earliest would be around 2028.
• Despite the sport's reduction in electrical power starting in 2027, and more so in 2028, the two companies aren’t backing off.
• Toyota offers technical support to the Haas F1 team from 2026, observing and learning the operational side of an F1 squad, while BYD could enter F1 as a team or as a title sponsor.

Development redistribution for teams

• Every 6 months, the championship standings reset the time allocation for each team’s car development.
• As of June 30, based on the constructors’ order, wind tunnel and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) allocations for the 2026 season are:

1. Mercedes: 70% (least time) – 224 wind tunnel runs, 1400 CFD elements
2. Scuderia Ferrari: 75% – 240 wind tunnel runs, 1500 CFD elements
3. McLaren Mercedes: 80% – 256 wind tunnel runs, 1600 CFD elements
4. Red Bull Racing Ford: 85% – 272 wind tunnel runs, 1700 CFD elements
5. Alpine: 90% – 288 wind tunnel runs, 1800 CFD elements
6. Racing Bulls Red Bull Ford: 95% – 304 wind tunnel runs, 1900 CFD elements
7. Haas Ferrari: 100% – 320 wind tunnel runs, 2000 CFD elements
8. Williams Mercedes: 105% – 336 wind tunnel runs, 2100 CFD elements
9. Audi: 110% – 352 wind tunnel runs, 2200 CFD elements
10. Aston Martin Honda: 115% – 368 wind tunnel runs, 2300 CFD elements
11. Cadillac: 115% – 368 wind tunnel runs, 2300 CFD elements

• Every development session is supervised by an FIA Official at the team’s headquarters. The last-placed team—whether 10th or lower if the grid expands—receives the maximum wind tunnel and CFD allocation allowed by the regulations. There is no further increase below 10th; all teams at the bottom get the same maximum development time.

Next Grand Prix

• The 9th round of the 2026 season reaches the United Kingdom at the Silverstone circuit. A demanding high-speed track that tests the cars on aero efficiency, PU efficiency and tyre management. As ever, the weather could play a significant role.

Sources: AutoRacer.it, Autosport.com, The-Race.com, MotorsportMagazine.com and official F1 YouTube Channel, MotorportCast, and Peter Windsor’s. Photos: Courtesy of Scuderia Ferrari and F1 Official Facebook pages.

 

 

This article provides an in-depth look at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP—expect a 12-13 minute read, covering the race review, technical insights and the latest news.

TL;DR: A look into Lewis Hamilton's first Ferrari victory, a detailed analysis of the top teams. Clarifications regarding the ADUO debate and anticipated rules.

Circuit configuration

-The 2026 Barcelona Grand Prix- Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya:

-Length: 4.657m.

-Number of turns: 14.

-Number of laps: 66.

-Circuit type: The most relevant circuit to compare the car's downforce levels.

-Downforce: Medium-high downforce level required.

-MJ limit: 6 MJ for qualifying and 8.5 MJ for race.

-Straight Mode zones: 4 zones. Out of T14 to T1; T3 to T4; T5 to T6 and T9-T10.

-Overtake mode detection: T14. Overtake mode: +0.5 MJ within 1s of the following car.

-Pitstop time loss: ~21s and 12s under SC/VSC.

-The hardest Pirelli compounds: C2-Hard. C3-Medium. C4-Soft.

Charles Leclerc-Ferrari, SF-26, exiting T5 at the Barcelona circuit.

Weekend schedule

-Qualifying 1-18 min(six drivers eliminated): 50°C scorching track temperature, with important track grip evolution. Both Ferrari drivers set one quick lap on C4 to advance comfortably into the next session. Hamilton found its way better with the upgraded SF-26.

-Qualifying 2-15 min(six drivers eliminated): Repeating the Q1 move, both drivers were on a new set of C4 softs Pirelli and with one fast lap progressed to Q3. Leclerc was the quickest on S3 throughout all final turns. Lewis also improved his speed from the first segment.

-Qualifying 3-13 min(10 drivers battle for pole position): Similar track conditions, but Charles' fight for pole position ended prematurely. He went off at T4, as he tried to put it all in his first flyer, entering earlier in the corner, understeered. The rear was lost, Leclerc corrected it, but a 2nd snap caught him off, sending him into the barriers. Lewis Hamilton set his first quick lap on a used set of soft tyres, going P6. On a new set of C4, he was in the mix for P1. His S1 was marginally slower than Russell's, but nailed S2 and partially S3. He qualified P2, with a time of 1:14.743 +0.064s adrift. A detailed comparison is available in the qualifying debrief.

• Race Start & Early laps: Over 50°C track temperature, clear skies, C4 soft for Hamilton and C3 medium for Leclerc at the start. Having a decent launch, Lewis kept P2 into T1, while Charles made up 3 positions on lap one to jump into P7 and harass Piastri for P6. On lap eight, Charles took P6 from Oscar on the long-right-hand T3 and set his sights on P5 Verstappen. Lewis was 3s from Russell and had a 2s advantage over Antonelli in P2. The C4 softs were fading quickly on Hamilton’s car, and he stopped on lap 12, switching to C2 hards, rejoining in P6, but was back in P2 with others pitting. On lap 17, Leclerc pitted, switching to C2 and rejoining in P6 at +8s behind Verstappen and 2s ahead of Piastri. Hamilton had a strong pace and kept close to Russell, and 5s ahead of Antonelli in P3.
• Middle-Race: By lap 21, Leclerc had closed the gap to Verstappen for P5, while Hamilton held steady in P2, fending off Antonelli. Strategic pit stops began in the late 20s, with Hamilton switching to mediums to cover off Mercedes and quickly regaining ground. Leclerc stayed in touch with the leaders but lost time after his own stop. On lap 39, Carlo Santi, Hamilton’s race engineer, said, “We are planning another 7 laps on this set. This is our race, give everything these laps. It’s the critical moment. This is our chance”, and Lewis responded on track. The race’s pivotal moment came on lap 42, when a well-timed Virtual Safety Car allowed Hamilton to pit and retain the lead with minimal time loss. Leclerc, meanwhile, rejoined in P6 after his stop and was unable to make further progress in traffic.
• Final laps: Reaching lap 45, Hamilton set another fastest lap and extended his lead to 4.5s over Russell. Charles was 1.8s from P5, but couldn’t progress. As the laps went by, Lewis headed out in front at a gap of 9 seconds from its followers. Driving in a league of his own, Hamilton's lead increased by 15s on lap 60, as Leclerc was stuck in P6 in no man’s land +7s to Verstappen and -9s ahead of Piastri. Charles was struck by bad luck on lap 62, the power steering assist failed (hydraulics), forcing him to retire. Hamilton was leading by 20s from George in P2, as Antonelli’s stricken Mercedes deployed the VSC. With one lap to go, the race restarted, and Lewis Hamilton sprinted to his first victory with Ferrari in a superb fashion.
• Lewis Hamilton P1: “Huge thanks to my team, everyone back at the factory, and Fred for believing in me. I started a dream last year that seemed impossible, but we never gave up hope. This (win) one is something else. I used to watch when Ferrari had all that succes on TV and always wondered what it would be like to win in red. And it’s come. Everyone worked so hard for it and deserves this. I am forever grateful to them. The car felt fantastic, the strategy was great, and the pit stops were great. Forza Ferrari! I’ve trained so hard, and the team's trust gave me the confidence with the changes we made. Believing and trusting in the decisions and things that I’ve asked for. We are slowly seeing this starting to come together. There is still a long way to go, but we’ll fight Mercedes and keep pushing. Winning there in Barcelona is something I will never forget”.
• Charles Leclerc DNF: “It’s not only the power steering (failed), it’s in general. I had no brakes, no power steering, no shift. I guess there is something with the hydraulics, but I don’t know exactly what. I don’t want to take any credit for today. I don’t think I’ve done much for the team. Lewis and the team eventually won on their own. I wish I were a bit more in front, to maybe be a bit more in the mix of things, but I wasn’t through my fault. Huge congratulations to Lewis, who has been on it since quite a bit and it’s been incredible. Huge congrats to the team as well, who are pushing massively with upgrades, and we are showing it now. It’s nice to see, I am very disappointed on my side, obviously”.

 

Lewis Hamilton and Carlo Santi his race engineer celebrating their maiden win.

Technical analysis of the cars

Only Ferrari brought a major upgrade package for the Catalan round. That is because the circuit layout is best suited to test a wide range of items on the race cars.

-Scuderia Ferrari: SF-26. A substantial aero package arrived for Ferrari at the Catalan round to optimise the car's downforce. 8 new components were presented in the FIA documentation.

• Front wing: The optimised version of the component, sporting a horizontal element on the superior outer footplate (prominently sculpted). A new nose with a raised lower surface, refining the tyre wake, stabilising the aero balance and optimised actuator straight mode integration; Wing elements and the footplate have vanes arranged differently, creating an outwash effect and improving the overall load. The underside of the footplate has strakes that try to create an inwash effect. Besides the ordinary downforce gain, it aims to improve the overall efficiency of feeding the sidepod intakes and the leading edge of the floor.
• Wakeboards/bargeboards: Front floorboard elements (horizontal and vertical) for airflow optimisation.
• Sidepods: Modified to work in harmony with the front wing, floor and diffuser adaptations.
• Wing mirror: A slightly revised shape, plus another winglet on the top edge of the sidepod (visible from the onboard cameras).
• Floor: The leading edge of the floor was streamlined by removing the keel volume and redesigning the floor edges and claws. Additional slots and revised vanes now guide the airflow downward, with enhanced rear corner winglets further increasing rear load. These changes aim to manage the dirty and turbulent air from the rear tyre, away from the central section. A complex evolution inspired by the blown-diffuser cars and the Mercedes W17 version.
• Diffuser: Minuscule turning vanes along the edge of the diffuser appear to further increase the air volume. With those floor modifications, the diffuser can operate at maximum capacity, improving downforce.
• FTM (flick tail mode)-wing: A cluster of winglets on the crash structure, working in conjunction with the FTM wing and a tiny tab on the top of the trailing edge of the diffuser.
• ERS(Energy Recovery System): Through the super clipping phase, SF-26 lost 34 km/h in comparison to rivals, the most.
• Cooling: Asymmetrical engine cover louvres with one extra on the left side for qualifying, but a symmetrical version for the race. Improvements on the wheel rim aided overall cooling performance.
• Cornering/downforce: Amplified the already good downforce level and additionally improved the cornering speed through all types of turns.
• Top speed/drag: Slight improvement on the top speed at Barcelona, and significantly reduced the drag thanks to the aero package.

-Mercedes: W17. Only 1 new component was listed for the 7th round of the season and track-specific elements.

• Rear wing: Added winglets to chase aero efficiency improvement.
• ERS: Down 28 km/h in the superclipping mode.
• Chassis and Power Unit: Possess the most efficient Power Unit, but the reliability is a concern for the German producer. Antonelli’s battery failed during the race; this means in the coming GPs, grid penalties are expected for needing to use exceeding the maximum allowance of PU components per season.
• Cornering/downforce: Despite being almost equal to SF-26 on slow-medium corners, in Barcelona was left behind. The high track temperatures revealed a weakness of the concept: the rear tyres' massive degradation.
• Top speed/drag: The benchmark on aero efficiency. Second best on speed traps, reaching 337 km/h.

-McLaren Mercedes: MCL40. 1 listed upgrade for the Barcelona round with additional circuit-specific parts.

• Front wing: Modified endplate improving the airflow on the rest of the vehicle.
• ERS: 28 km/h lost in the clipping zone.
• Chassis and Power Unit: Issues integrating the Mercedes Power Unit with its chassis.
• Cornering/downforce: Lower downforce than SF-26 and W17. At the 7th round was inferior in tyre management. Paddock journalists indicate it's lost its biggest strength until 2025: the best tyre management on any track type/temperature, especially the rears.
• Top speed/drag: The best top speed was 338 km/h, but it didn’t help on raceday.

-RedBullRacing: RB22. 1 upgrade officially presented on the FIA documents and track-specific elements.

• Front wing: Altered geometry and a strong flap adjuster, in case it’s necessary.
• ERS: Through the clipping phase, it lost the least speed, only 22 km/h.
• Chassis and Power Unit: The Power Unit failure at the start of the Monaco race on Verstappen’s car was the most used in the grid, the version that debuted in Australia. All others utilise fresher motors.
• Cornering/downforce: Solid aero efficiency, but mediocre downforce and tyre management on long runs.
• Top speed/drag: During the Free Practice, it had the worst top speed, 328 km/h, possibly using different deployment settings.
• Weight: In Austria, another weight reduction pack is anticiapted to reach the minimum weight.

Lewis Hamilton-Ferrari SF-26, through T2 at the Catalan round.

Drivers and Team

With the technical analysis completed, let’s take a look at Scuderia Ferrari’s performance at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP.

-Qualifying and Race debrief

• Qualifying. The upgraded SF-26 performed surprisingly well in qualifying, with both drivers being in the mix to get pole position. Charles Leclerc was the quickest in S1, but as he attacked T4, the inherited understeer from attacking the corner too early forced him to push. The rear snapped, a correction was made, but a 2nd repeat wasn’t expected, and Leclerc was sent off track into the barriers. Lewis Hamilton picked-up the pace after a troublesome Friday, missing FP1 to mandatory young driver’s running, the Briton was in the fight for P1. A direct comparison to George Russell's lap: Lewis had a slightly longer line into T1, which compromsied the rest of the segment to T4, narrowly slower than George (Verstappen's best time). Out of T4, he started to recover, into and exit of T5 Hamilton edged ahead, keeping the momentum into T7 with superior speed. In T9, Lewis was in front, but negotiating T10 cost him time. Like Charles, he went too early into the corner, the front washed out, had to wait to pick the acceleration and a snap on rear forced him to correct it. Even so, the Ferrari driver was still ahead out of T12, but the final T14, minimal lift to Russell’s full-throttle, crossed Lewis into P2 to get his best qualiy result of the season.
• Race. The three-stop strategy on Hamilton’s race was the optimal way for the race. The short stint on C4 softs was important, as Lewis kept close to Russell, nurturing the tyres through that segment. The first stint on C2 was excellent, eeking the gap to George, despite the resurgence pace of Antonelli, who was pushing too hard at that moment. The switch on C3 medium was mandatory to keep pressure on both Mercedes (fighting for the lead), and Hamilton halved the gap from 22 to 11 seconds in 6 laps. The last stop for another C2 hard completed the scheme. From lap 44, when he set the fastest lap of the race, Hamilton lapped 0.7-0.8s quicker than the Mercedes duo. Charles Leclerc had solid on a two stopper, using the C3 and C2 Pirellis, but once he hit the dirty air from the cars in front, his rhythm was compromised. The upgraded SF-26 was poised on all compounds at Barcelona, and some of the issues were addressed: tyre control, low-fuel pace/consistency.

-Fastest laps -drivers: 1.Lewis Hamilton- Ferrari on lap 44, a 1:20.122 2. Isack Hadjar- Red Bull Racing on lap 60 1:20.150 +0.028s 3. Max Verstappen- Red Bull Racing on lap 42 1:20.230 +0.108s. 4. Lando Norris- McLaren Mercedes on lap 37 1:20.232 +0.110s 5. Charles Leclerc on lap 37 1:20.379 +0.257s.

-Race pace- teams: 1. Ferrari fastest throughout the race; 2. Mercedes +0.27s 3. McLaren Mercedes +0.29s 4. Red Bull Racing +0.58s, other teams were more than 2s slower on average. *Considered without the extra pit at the end for Lewis.

-Race pace- drivers: 1. Lewis Hamilton-Ferrari quickest. 2. Max Verstappen- Red Bull Racing +0.58s 3. Kimi Antonelli- Mercedes +0.60s 4/5. Lando Norris- McLaren Mercedes and George Russell- Mercedes +0.62s. 6. Charles Leclerc- Ferrari +0.90s 7. Oscar Piastri- McLaren Mercedes +1.09s. *This data is provided wtih Hamilton’s extra pit under VSC.

-Tyre strategy: The 3 stopper was the way to go, Hamilton had 2 new sets of C2 hard Pirelli for the race, like other top 7 finishers, bar Verstappen, who had only one set, but two new C3 mediums. The C2 hard compound worked best at +50°C track temperature. The C3 medium was good, but once they hit the grip peak, their drop in performance was notable. The C4 softs could hold for about 7-8 fast laps, and extra care was needed to keep them at a stable pace, without losing too much ground.

-Pitstops: Top 5. In a tightly contested encounter not only on track but also on the pits, the margins were tiny: 1.McLaren Mercedes for Oscar Piastri on lap 14 (2.13s); 2. Audi for Gabriel Bortoleto on lap 33 (2.21s) 3. Red Bull Racing for Isack Hadjar on lap 58 (2.25s) 4. Mercedes for George Russell on lap 36 (2.27s). 5. Williams for Alexander Albon on lap 29 (2.28s). Despite not featuring in the top 10, Scuderia’s pit crew provided fast stops for both drivers. Ferrari’s best two stops were 13th for Charles Leclerc on lap 39 (2.58s) and 15th best for Lewis Hamilton on lap 11 (2.60s).

Lewis Hamilton's breakthrough win

• Hamilton’s (106th F1 success) 2026 Barcelona victory for Ferrari echoes Michael Schumacher’s breakthrough win at the same circuit in 1996 (106th for Ferrari), his greatest of his career.
• Reminiscing of Vettel’ 2015 maiden Ferrari triumph in Malayisia, the 2017 Spanish GP, Vettel’s challenge fading away against the two Mercedes and the 2022 Leclerc’s premature end of the race, the 2026 win redeem the respective missed chances.

Charles Leclerc's driving struggles

• Throughout the 2026 season, Leclerc found the SF-26 tricky to handle, especially in the braking zones, and his biggest strength diminished. Not only was the Brembo braking system responsible for his issues, but another factor was involved.
• At the Canadian GP, Ferrari introduced an ERS (Energy Recovery System) software update. It reduces the engine brake to 0, which, for Charles, was a notable problem, as he uses the brakes at corner entry to help the car's rotation and gain more time.

"It's more crucial that Ferrari wins. It doesn't matter who's driving it. As long as Ferrari wins".Enzo Anselmo Ferrari.

Scuderia Ferrari, enjoying Hamilton's first succes, with the Italian team.

News and Notes

-The 2026 Catalunya-Barcelona Grand Prix notes: George Russell ended his teammate's run of pole positions in Barcelona, narrowly beating his former colleague at Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton. On hard tyres, the W17 couldn’t match the SF-26 over a complete stint, the speed dropping towards the end of the segment. The rear overheated, and the degradation came into play, losing time. Antonelli kept his tyres in a better shape, but still couldn’t equal the winning Ferrari pace, and he received a 5s post-race time penalty for exceeding track limits (prior to his premature race finish).

Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) debate and clarifications

The FIA planned rule changes for the 2027 and 2028 seasons are a wider push for cost control and competitive equality between teams.

How ADUO is Determined

• A Power Unit (PU) manufacturer is eligible for ADUO if its V6 engine is at least 2% (12HP) behind the benchmark, according to the Index of Performance, measured through various methods (dyno and track data, hot 130°C and ambient temperature compression ratio checks).
• After the Monaco GP, the verdict was surprising, with Red Bull Racing PowerTrains- Ford as the benchmark; Mercedes, Ferrari, Audi qualifying within the 2%, 4% and 6% Honda, respectively. However, the FIA's precise benchmarking methodology remains undisclosed, adding speculation among teams.

Team reactions and controversies

• Red Bull said it ran its Power Unit at full power (excepting China), accused Ferrari and Mercedes of intentionally detuning their PUs to accentuate their deficits and get more upgrade opportunities:
• Ferrari through aero tricks (FTM-wing);
• Mercedes with the compression ratio, boosting the V6 and MUG-K efficiencies.
• More from the RBR team is that they believe Ferrari knew it would be in trouble with the V6 engine for 2026, accentuating the power deficit further to get extra ADUO gains.

ADUO impact if applied

• The average of the season (excluding abnormalities), Mercedes W17 is the fastest car, followed by the McLaren Mercedes MCL40 and Ferrari SF-26 +0.400s, and Red Bull Racing RB22 +0.650s. *Before the Barcelona round.
• If the proposed ADUO upgrade is applied for each producer to benefit and improve its engine, the order after the use will be: Mercedes, Ferrari +0.1s, McLaren stays at +0.4s (the same PU), and Red Bull will slip at +0.9s.
• Once the FIA authorised ADUO, qualified teams could introduce upgrades starting with the Canadian GP. After the Monaco results, this status is unclear (RBR requesting clarifications).
• The ADUO is considered needed by some but controversial because of the entity’s robustness in transmitting the message and solving the problem.

2027 and 2028 Power Unit rule revisions

From 2027 onwards, F1 intends to limit the electrical power usage and enhance the ICE power.

• The power split between the V6 and the MGU-K will change rom 55/45% to 58/42% for 2027, and the fuel flow will increase by 5%.
• Theoretical power output will rise by 20 kW to 420 kW (at least 570 HP) in 2027, and reach 450 kW (605 HP) in 2028. Fuel flow will increase by 13% in 2028.
• Through “superclipping” (the speed threshold where only the V6 offers power) will increase from 350 kW in 2026 to:
• 375 kW in 2027
• 400 kW in 2028
• Actual performance gains will vary by producer, the 20 kW being a default estimation, based on efficiency and technical development.

Team Positions and Ongoing Debate

• Ferrari, Audi, Honda and Cadillac (General Motors) support the new rules.
• Mercedes and RBRPT- Ford oppose.
• Ferrari hints for ADUO to be cancelled (RBRPT-Ford backs the idea) from 2027; Red Bull desires ADUO to asses the whole PU performance, not just the V6.

All proposed rule modifications for 2027 and 2028 remain subject to final approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, and further tweaks and discussions are possible before implementation.

Charles Leclerc-Ferrari SF-26, out of T8 at the Barcelona track.

Next GP

• In two weeks' time, the Austrian mountains will be the host for the 8th round of the 2026 season around the RedBull Ring. A circuit different to the Barcelona layout, where the PU is more important, but the aero efficiency and downforce level are relevant.

Sources/references: AutoRacer.it, Autosport.com. The-Race.com and other reputable F1 news outlets. Trustworthy YouTube channels (F1 Official, MotorsportCast, Peter Windsor, etc) and technical pages. Photos: Courtesy of Scuderia Ferrari and F1 Official Facebook pages.

 

This article provides an in-depth look at the Monaco GP— expect a 12-14-minute read covering the race review, technical insights and the latest news.

TL;DR: Ferrari’s highs and lows of the Monaco GP, technical aspects of the top teams, drivers' features, team details and news regarding the sport.

 

Circuit configuration

-The 2026 Monaco Grand Prix- Circuit de Monaco:

-Length: 3.337m.

-Number of turns: 19.

- Number of laps: 78.

-Circuit type: The slowest and shortest circuit in the calendar. The downforce level: the most significant of the year.

-The traction: essential.

-Track surface: least abrasive.

-Track evolution: significant.

-Driver role: the most notable in the season.

-MJ limit: 9 MJ limit for qualifying. No Super Clipping due to the earlier ERS power cut from 200 km/h instead of the standard 290 km/h, as a safety measure.

-Straight Mode zones: For the first time in 2026, due to the track's nature, no active zones were established.

-Overtake mode +0.5 MJ of the following car within 1s: detection before T17 La Rascasse.

-Pit time loss: around 20s and 15s under SC/VSC.

-Pirelli tyres softest in its range: C3-Hard. C4-Medium. C5-Soft.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari SF-26, coming out of the Monaco famous tunnel.

Weekend schedule

-Qualifying 1-18 min(six drivers eliminated): 46°C hot asphalt, low wind and clear sky. Improved grip level from lap to lap, as both drivers had enough fuel onboard to stay on track throughout. The two got faster as the session progressed and advanced comfortably into Q2 on a single set of C5 soft.

-Qualifying 2-15 min(six drivers eliminated): A single set of C5 Pirelli used by both drivers, as track conditions continued to improve. Leclerc found 0.5 gain from Q1, while Lewis found 0.3. Both advanced into the final part of qualifying, although the track conditions got tricky.

-Qualifying 3-13 min(10 drivers battle for pole position): Colder track temperature at 33°C and similar weather ambient. A new set of C5 for both drivers, as Leclerc aborted his first quick lap, having a moment into T4. Hamilton set a 1:12.553 to go provisionally in P3 with a solid S2. In their best laps, the two managed to improve Hamilton to 1:12.279 +0.228 and Leclerc to 1:12.351 +0.300 from P1. Lewis complained about the rear overheating in S3, and Charles brake issues persisted. His final try was on par with Antonelli's until T12 Tabac's error ended his chances to fight for pole.

• Race Start & Early laps: Under clear skies and 40°C track temp, the top 10 started on C4. Lewis and Charles were P2 and P3 after Verstappen stalled, both trailing Antonelli by 3s early on, with Leclerc 2s from Hadjar in P4. Gaps opened by lap 10, Kimi led Hamilton by 5s and Leclerc by 10s. On lap 15, Lewis reported rear degradation and overheating: “A lot of degradation on these tyres. The rears are overheating,” stabilising his gap to Kimi at 3s. After a management phase, Antonelli extended his lead over the two Ferraris.
• Middle-Race: Hamilton’s rear tyres were spent, prompting a pit stop on lap 29 for C3 hards. He rejoined in P3, 12s ahead of Hadjar, and received a 5-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Leclerc, running P2, was 16.5s behind Antonelli and pitted on lap 36 for C3s, rejoining in P3 with a comfortable margin to P4. Lewis regained P2 once Antonelli pitted. As the race progressed, Hamilton’s gap to the leader grew, while Leclerc gradually closed on his teammate—by lap 50, Lewis trailed Kimi by 20s and led Leclerc by less than 5s. Leclerc held a 46-second advantage over Russell in P4.
• Final laps: On fresher tyres, Charles closed in on Lewis by 3.7s before the Safety Car was deployed on lap 61, due to Stroll's off at the last turn, and both Ferrari drivers pitted. They switched to C5 soft tyres, Hamilton serving his time penalty and rejoining in P2 with Leclerc in P3. The race restarted on lap 66, but Charles’ crash at the final corner caused a Safety Car, and subsequent track damage led to a red flag. Leclerc team radio: “I don’t even take blame on this one. These f*****g brakes”. The race restarted with a standing start on lap 71 with the top 10 on C5 rubber. Despite having a slightly better launch, Hamilton stayed P2, equalling his best finish of the season.
• Lewis Hamilton P2: “I have to start by congratulating Kimi and Mercedes- my old family. They’ve created an amazing car, and Kimi is doing an incredible job. I think we’ve been progressing over the past few months, but we’re not at their level yet. P2 is a great feeling, especially in Monaco, under the trickiest conditions. The car is good, but we need more downforce. I ran out of tyres so quickly in the first stint(C4 medium). And then I was in that long second stint, and these tyres are particularly great to serve on a long stint. After the Safety Car, keeping heat in the tyres was tough and challenging for everyone. But I am grateful for the team’s hard work and the result. They truly deserve this and more, and I am just going to keep working hard to try and see if I can finally take that final step for them”.
• Charles Leclerc DNF: “Brakes. Data speaks for itself. Out of the four brakes, only one was working. The only solution I had was not to brake in the last corner, but I would have crashed in T1. I only tapped the brake pedal, and suddenly the fronts were loaded. The track breaking didn’t help, either. When I touched the brakes, I had more on the front and nothing on the rear. I don’t know how much I can get into details. I am not going to take the blame for this one. For 2 races now, we have different brakes (compared to Lewis). I will try to get Lewis brake configuration, because on my side it’s been a nightmare”.

With the action on track summed up, let’s take a look at how each of the top four teams adapted their vehicles to Monaco's uniqueness.

Technical analysis of the cars

All four top teams opted not to bring any upgrades to Monaco due to the track's characteristics and the high risk of crashing or damaging new components. Because there were no active aero zones at Monaco, most of the team opted to replace their actuators/activation mechanisms with different solutions. That is to keep the same weight distribution at the front and rear.

-Scuderia Ferrari: SF-26.

• Front wing: Removed the front wing active aero actuator to save weight.
• Front suspension: A special adaptation to tackle the tightest and slowest corners in the F1 calendar, the Grand Hotel Hairpin T6. The upper wishbone was repositioned lower and backward to provide better steering lock.
• Front and rear brakes: Since the Japanese GP, Lewis Hamilton has changed the brake supplier from Brembo to the usual one he used at Mercedes Carbon Industries. A notable improvement in Hamilton's pace was observed in the last two grand prix; this change returned his braking feel that he was aware of. Charles Leclerc will go in the same direction for the next round, searching for a fix for his brake issues that started in Miami.
• Wakeboards/bargeboards: A minuscule Guernsey flap on the middle main horizontal element.
• Difusser: Slightly adjusted version of the exit of the diffuser positioned at a greater angle.
• Rear wing: The vertical element (tab) has a more prominent size and shape to add downforce.
• FTM (flick tail mode)-wing: Despite the ban for 2027 of this element (because it values around two aero upgrades), Ferrari will bring to Spain an advanced version of the FTM-Wing.
• Cornering: Throughout the Monaco GP weekend, SF-26 was the benchmark in the slow-speed corners. Third best in the faster turns behind RB22 and W17.
• Top speed/drag: Equal 2nd best top speed with MCL40 and RBR22, trailing the W17.

-Mercedes: W17. Configuration adapted to the highest downforce level required on the streets of the Principality of Monaco. Only 1 official track component is listed: the rear wing assembly.

• Front wing: Removed front active aero actuator, replaced with ballast.
• Front suspension: Specific Monaco adaptation to comply with the track unicity layout.
• Difusser: Upgraded in Canada with the major aero package, the diffuser has two unique solutions. The upper section (three glisters egg-shaped) presents a serrated profile, extending its length covering half of its width. On the waterfall-called area (lateral), a small outward-facing deflector appeared, designed to tune the airflow exiting the floor.
• Rear wing: Replaced the active aero mechanism with a complex artistic set of wings. A multitude of elements are positioned to increase the rear downforce. An element, above three elements, followed by a dual element, followed by a dual element. The last element is beyond vertical. That item adds positive pressure on the front face and negative pressure on the rear face, and lift. It’s a part of the assembly that is changing the airflow distribution of the entire wing. It produces around 30 to 35 kg of downforce at top speed in Monaco, a direct effect. Indirectly, it reduces pressure on the upper surface, while the gains under the wing and on the floor are significant. Overall, this adds several hundred kilograms of downforce to the car.
• Explanation provided by Professor William Toet, former aerodynamicist for Bennetton, Ferrari (head of aero in 1994-1999), BAR and BMW-Sauber on two occasions.
• ERS: Besides the updated software introduced in Canada, to help with the start, another improvement has been made in this area. A redesigned clutch paddle lock for better feel of the bite point, an aspect that Antonelli was too “optimistic” about.
• Chassis and Power Unit: The Power Unit that failed George Russell during the Canadian GP couldn’t be recovered the same way for the MGU-K; it damaged the chassis. A new chassis was installed for Russell at the Monaco GP.
• Cornering: 2nd best in the low-speed corners on par with RB22 and MCL40, behind SF-26. Slowest of all through the higher speed turns.
• Top speed/drag: The best top speed on the speed traps throughout the weekend- 289 km/h.

-McLaren Mercedes: MCL40. 6 circuit-specific components for the 6th round of the season.

• Front wing: No front wing actuator for weight benefits.
• Front suspension: Special modifications to adapt to the slowest F1 turn 6 at Monaco.
• Difusser: Improvements to aid the reliability.
• Rear wing:  With the active aero disabled for the Monaco race weekend, a whole complex assembly of wings (5 in total) appeared on top of the wing, acting as the shroud of the active aero mechanism.
• FTM (flick tail mode)-wing: Presented as a beam wing in the official report, to boost the performance.
• Chassis and Power Unit: In Miami and Canada, it had the best traction out of all corners. A specific engine cover to cope with Monaco demands.
• Cornering: Of the top four teams, it was the slowest car in the long, low-speed turns.
• Top speed/drag: 286 km/h, on par with Ferrari and Red Bull.
• Weight: It reached the minimum weight limit with the last upgrade received in Canada.

-RedBullRacing: RB22. Like its rivals, 4 specific components to suit Monaco's track's unique nature.

• Front wing: Like others, no active aero actuator to help in performance.
• Front suspension: Like rivals, specially adapted component to the Monaco circuit.
• Floor: Leading edge changes to improve the performance.
• Rear wing: On top of the central line, a complex of wings appeared, Airdale dog-shaped (Sam Collins, F1 Technical Expert, named it), aiming to increase the rear downforce, as the active aero is off for the weekend.
• Chassis and Power Unit: Engine cover specifically modified for the high temperatures around Monaco.
• Cornering: Through the low-speed turns, it loses 0.1s on every slow corner to W17 and more to SF-26. But on Verstappen's hands, it was the strongest on the faster turns.
• Top speed/drag: Best vehicle on traction (Verstappen) and excellent on the start-finish straight.
• Weight: The overweight penalty of 6-7kgs over the minimum limit costs it pace.

Data was presented with qualifying numbers, as the race was compromised by interruptions.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-26, heading to T4, Massenet at the Monaco GP.

Drivers and Team

With the action on track presented, let’s take a look at the driver's performance over the Monegasque weekend, pit crew speed, Frederic Vasseur's remark on rivals, information on Charles contract, and Monaco's secret(s).

The weekend highlighted the strengths and struggles of the Ferrari duo. After Friday, Hamilton showed more confidence in braking and low-speed corners in FP2, even on the faster turns like Tabac, setting a 1:13.026, the quickest. Leclerc’s brake issues continued, costing him 0.4s from his ideal lap, a possible 1:12.8. SF-26 was the best from the Casino T4 to Portier T8.

• Qualifying debrief. A drop of over 10°C in track temperature from Q1 to Q3 affected everyone’s pace. Lewis was solid but lost the most time in S1 (T4) and S3, due to the rears overheating, and his La Rascasse entry couldn’t match the Antonelli-Verstappen duo. Leclerc aborted his first flyer at Massenet (T4), then set an early banker. In his final try, Charles matched S1 and S2 times until an oversteer at T12 Tabac, asking too much from the SF-26 front-end, sent him into the wall. Charles was 0.030 and 0.100 up on Verstappen and Antonelli before the swimming pool T13 to T16 section, but his off at Tabac T12 won’t provide an answer. Final results: Lewis Hamilton P3 1:12. 279 +0.228,Charles Leclerc in P4 1:12.351 +0.300 to Kimi Antonelli.
• Race debrief. Despite the higher track temperature for most of the race, the pace of the car wasn’t there. Hamilton’s rear C4 overheated quickly in the first stint, hurting his speed. Switching to C3, saw an improvement, but not enough to challenge the Mercedes, and the C5s performed similarly. Leclerc's stint on C4 medium was comparable to Lewis's because he was gentler in the first laps, saving more rubber towards the end of the segment, allowing him to close in on his teammate. Charles had no reason to push and settled for P3 until the unfortunate crash.
• Fastest laps – Drivers:

1. Kimi Antonelli – 1:13.481 (lap 76)
2. Lewis Hamilton – 1:14.643 +1.162 (lap 74)
3. Pierre Gasly – 1:15.497 +2.016 (lap 77) Leclerc: 9th fastest – 1:15.964 +2.483 (lap 53) (See race summary above for context on Leclerc’s performance.)

• Teams’ race pace:

1. Mercedes/Antonelli quickest
2. Ferrari/Hamilton +1.162s
3. Alpine +2.016s Note: Pace comparison was compromised by the Safety Car and red flag interruptions.

• Pitstops: Ferrari's pit crew delivered a decent performance at Monaco, with competitive times, and a less representative stop due to a time penalty.
• Hamilton's stop on lap 28: 2.27s (5th-best)
• Leclerc’s on lap 35: 3.11s (12th-best).

Top three quickest stops:

1. Mercedes/Kimi Antonelli – 2.17s (lap 37)
2. Audi/Gabriel Bortoleto – 2.19s (lap 43)
3. McLaren/Oscar Piastri – 2.22s (lap 48)

Lewis Hamilton, Scuderia Ferrari celebrating his P2 finish and the 8th podium at Monaco, equalling his idol Ayrton Senna.

Ferrari start advantage

Following the extra 5s added to the start procedure since the Chinese GP on safety grounds to avoid a serious crash, Ferrari’s launch advantage took a hit. The most notable was in Canada, where the two drivers gained only one position each, in contrast to the 3-4 average in the first events. That left Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur with an arrow pointing at the rival teams:

"To have half of the grid, 40% of the grid, complaining that it's mega dangerous and so on, politically [it] was well played but not very fair," Vasseur told The Race recently. Also

The French Team Principal stated that if Ferrari didn’t agree on the new starting procedure, “probably half of the field would’ve been still on the start in China”.

Charles Leclerc's contract extension

Before the Monaco GP race weekend, the Monegasque signed a contract renewal with Ferrari on 03 June, a multi-year deal. The clause that would’ve set him free from 2027 was activated. Some reports say the new contract is until 2028, while others that will keep Leclerc at Ferrari until the 2030s. One thing is for sure, his winnings with bonuses will reach $50mil from 2028 onwards.

With all the speculation around his future, in 2025, Charles had contacts with Mercedes and Aston Martin and more recently, indirectly from Red Bull Racing, Team Principal Lauren Mekies, who insisted on him at his team.

Monaco circuit secrets

Prior to his home GP, on Thursday, media day, Charles revealed some of the secrets around his home GP. Leclerc suggested that every year you start from 0 with the track, because it changes over time. “It’s not like you know a turn, or a straight like on a permanent racetrack. Usually on the Monaco streets, the road cars run daily, creating bumps, undulations, and these are changing from year to year”. Despite the similar look over the years, this particular detail goes unobserved during the live footage, with only the driver spotting and feeling the differences. “For a corner, if you brake 2 m later than last year, this time it can be too late, due to the track modifications”.

Lewis Hamilton's race engineer

Even though Carlo Santi Lewis's race engineer was named for an interim role, the communication between the two improved race by race. During the Monaco GP, he called Carlo the “Italian Bono” like he used to do with Peter Bonnington, with whom he had a fruitful collaboration at Mercedes.

"It's more crucial that Ferrari wins. It doesn't matter who's driving it. As long as Ferrari wins".Enzo Anselmo Ferrari.

News and Notes

Beyond the racing, more debate has been going on about the 2027 Power Unit modifications and ADUO implementation.

• The 2026 Monaco Grand Prix notes: Mercedes and Kimi Antonelli continued their surge at the front of the field in a dominant fashion.
• Qualifying. 0.043 made the difference between pole position and P2 between Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen (same difference in 2017). The two were closely matched throughout their best laps, but some key zones made the key difference. Before his final try, Kimi was told on the radio by Peter Bonnington that he lost time in T1 and should take less kerb. Through T4, Antonelli refined their previous approach, but on T7-T8, slow right-handers, before the tunnel, the young Italian had a distinct trajectory. In T7, he downshifted from 2nd to 1st and upshifted to 2nd on the short burst of acceleration, to downshift again to 1st gear into T8. That aided the traction and settled the car on the longest flat-out zone at Monaco. The Nouvelle chicane, T7-T8, was aced, and from T13 to T17, the fastest corners, he had  the upper hand on Max. The two were inseparable on the final turns, negotiating T17 La Rascasse identically. Despite Verstappen nailing the launch out of the last T19 to the finish line, it wasn’t enough to steal P1 from Antonelli.
• Race. 5th race win in a row and the youngest Monaco winner for Kimi Antonelli, who continues his impressive streak. The Italian launched from pole on the original start and at the restart, disappeared from the followers. Despite Hamilton’s best reply in the first laps of the race, during Antonelli's brake temperature managemnt, he couldn’t stay with the Mercedes driver. Putting no foot wrong throughout the challenging street circuit, he set fastest lap after fastest lap despite not needing to, at one point leading by over 20s. Having no threats from behind, Antonelli clinched his 5th consecutive victory of the season, extending the lead over the newly 2nd placed driver Lewis Hamilton to 66 points. Andrea Kimi Antonelli scored its maiden Grand Chelem, the hardest feat to achieve in F1: pole position, lead every lap, fastest lap and the win.

Kimi Antonelli, celebrating the win, before the traditional jump in the harbour.

More talks, between the teams and the entities, took place before the Monaco GP the next year, Power Unit configurations, yet new challenges have emerged.

2027 Power Split changes and Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) talks

• With the current split power output at 55% for the V6 internal combustion engine (ICE) and 45% from the MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic.
• The F1 teams agreed with the FIA and FOM to improve the racing for 2027, changing the power split to 60%/40% V6/MGU-K, which has its complications.

Manufacturers positions:

• Ferrari, Audi, Honda and General Motors (to produce its Power Unit from 2029) have expressed their opposition to allowing major hardware changes or new components under the ADUO.
• The reason: If all power unit producers can use ADUO for improvements, it beats the programme idea. This is to help only the suppliers who are lagging behind in closing the gap to the benchmark.

ADUO nullified

• That would undermine the ADUO's purpose of helping Power Unit suppliers in deficit close the gap as much as possible, because all Power Unit producers will benefit from the programme.
• The debate is ongoing, with a final decision anticipated around the summer break.

Projected Power Increase

• The 2027 regulations are expected to increase the fuel flow, raising the ICE output from ~555 HP to around 640 HP. But that is possible by modifying V6 components, having to cope with higher forces, so reliability would be a priority. These are projections, and changes may occur until rules are finalised.

Compression ratio measurement changes

• Starting 01 June, a new rule requires measuring the V6 engine compression ratio at a hot temperature (130°C) and ambient temperature.
• The Barcelona GP will indicate whether this method had any impact on any of the teams' Power Units.

Power Unit Index of Performance

• Initially, it was announced that the Index of Performance would be made public before the Monaco GP, on Thursday or Friday.
• But it was delayed due to various reasons; the document will be presented after the 6th round of the season.

Next round

• This weekend, the Barcelona-Catalunya GP will take place around the most relevant aerodynamic/traction/tyre management components examination, the Barcelona Circuit. All top four teams will bring major upgrades. A deeper explanation of the ADUO order ( and its implications on performance) after the Catalan round.

Sources/references: AutoRacer.it, Autosport.com. The-Race.com and other reputable F1 news outlets. Trustworthy YouTube channels (F1 Official, MotorsportCast, Peter Windsor, etc) and technical pages. Photos: Courtesy of Scuderia Ferrari and F1 Official Facebook pages.

 

This article provides an in-depth look at the Canadian GP—expect a 12-13 minute read, covering the race review, technical insights and the latest news.

TL;DR: Scuderia Ferrari had a strong race weekend in Canada, despite challenges. The article proivdes, Technical analysis of the front-running cars, and covers news about the sport’s future.

Circuit configuration

-The 2026 Canadian Grand Prix- Circuit Gilles Villeneuve:

-Length:4.361m.

-Number of turns: 14.

-Number of laps: 70

-Circuit type: Medium-Low downforce circuit.

-Traction level: essential.

-Brake importance: the most required in the season.

-Track evolution: significant.

-Straight mode zones: T6 to T7 straight, T8 to T9 straight, T12 to T13 straight and T14 to T1 finish straight. Overtake mode detection point: before T13 and activation after T14.

-Harvesting limit: For qualifying 5 MJ per lap, for the race, the limit was set at 8 MJ.

-Pit time loss: 18s under normal racing speed. Around 10s shorter under VSC/SC.

-Pirelli tyres brought the softest compounds: C3-Hard. C4-Medium. C5-Soft.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-26, exiting T1 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Weekend schedule-Ferrari SF-26

Friday qualification

-Sprint Qualifying: Both Ferrari drivers advanced through each session. Hamilton was consistently quick, showing strong pace in tricky conditions, securing P5. Leclerc struggled to match his teammate's speed and ended in P6. The SF-26 was the best on the slow-speed turns, but lost time on the main straight due to the power deficit. From T1 to T6, Lewis Hamilton was unmatchable in Friday and Saturday’s sessions.

Saturday shorter contest

-Sprint Race 23 laps: Clear skies, 32°C and C4 medium tyres for the top nine starters. Hamilton made a good start, moving up to P4, while Leclerc held P6. In the early laps, Lewis, Oscar and Charles ran closely, but as the race progressed, Hamilton lost contact with Antonelli and was under pressure from behind. In the final laps, tyre degradation affected both Ferraris, more Hamilton, who slipped to P6 behind Piastri and Leclerc finsihing in P5.

Qualifying evolution

-Qualifying 1-18 min(six drivers eliminated): Before the session, Leclerc made set-up changes to his car. Cloudy skies and 31°C track temperature and massive racing line evolution. Charles and Lewis opted for used C5 tyres, improving their lap times from 1:14.8 to 1:13.7 for Hamilton and 1:13.8 for Leclerc to advance into Q2.

-Qualifying 2-15 min(six drivers eliminated): New C5 Pirelli for the Ferrari duo, and Lewis was on pace from the first try, setting a 1:13.270s while Charles, after two quick laps, managed only a 1:13.815. Bolting a new set of soft rubber, Hamilton was flying in S1, setting the best time and lowering to a 1:13.041 +0.066. Leclerc improved but wasn’t at ease with the car, laying a 1:13.496 +0.521, advancing to Q3.

-Qualifying 3-13 min(10 drivers battle for pole position): 31°C track temperature and continued track grip improvement. Fresh C5 rubber for the Ferrari pair with Hamilton keeping his solid form and setting the benchmark on S1, with a lap of 1:12.868 +0.194 for P2 . Leclerc was better, too, but still +0.420s from Norris with a lap of 1:13.149, good for P5. Lewis and Charles went for a final quick lap on new C5 softs. Hamilton tried his best through S1 but couldn’t match his best time, and on exit of T7, a slide forced him to abort the attempt, qualifying in P5 without improving his initial effort. Leclerc finally felt a bit better with the car, managing to control the tyre temperatures, setting personal-best sectors with a lap of 1:12.976, qualifying in P8 +0.398s from pole position.

The race unfolding

• Race 68 laps. Start & Early laps: The race started in drizzly, cold 12°C track and strong winds, with both Ferraris on C5 soft tyres, unlike the McLaren duo on intermediates. Hamilton and Leclerc had good starts, gaining a position on lap one, running P4 and P7 with Leclerc going P6 as Piastri pitted. The two took one position in P3 and P5, respectively, while Norris pitted for slicks. By lap nine, Lewis lost P3 to Verstappen into T1 and requested more power on team radio. Leclerc made an error, dropped more than 5s behind and was chased by Hadjar 1s behind.
• Middle-Race: As Lewis chased Max for P3, he made a mistake at T9 on lap 23, losing 4s in the process. Leclerc in P5 trailed Hamilton by 2s and was safe from Hadjar, who dropped more than 1s behind. The Virtual Safety Car was deployed on lap 31 because of Russell’s stricken Mercedes, and the two Ferraris pitted. Both switched to C4 medium, Lewis rejoined in P3, and Charles lost a position to Hadjar, dropping to P5. Having superior pace, Leclerc quickly attacked Isack, but the French defended aggressively, forcing the Ferrari driver to bail out: “That was nearly a huge one”, Leclerc said on the radio. After some tries, Charles finally took P4 from an over-the-limit defending Hadjar and instantly put 1s to him. Hamilton's pace was solid and banked the fastest laps of the race on laps 38 and 41, closing on Verstappen.
• Final laps: A brief VSC on lap 46 allowed Lewis to close in on Max a bit more, gaining a few tenths, while Charles remained safe from Hadjar. Encouraged by his rhythm, Hamilton on team radio: “We can do this, guys. I am pushing”. And Lewis was only 2.2s from P3, while Charles was +8s from his teammate, opting to bring the car home. Hamilton caught Verstappen, and from lap 58, he was within 1s to get the extra 0.5s MJ boost for an overtake. And on lap 62, with a fine move on the outside of T1, he was in P2 but couldn’t cut off from the Red Bull driver. Lap after lap, Lewis drove majestously and defended his position superbly despite being vulnerable on straights due to the power deficit. Leclerc finished in P4 and 12s ahead of Hadjar. Lewis Hamilton in P2 scored his best result with the team (bar Sprints) and was voted by fans Driver of the Day.
• Lewis Hamilton P2: “It is the happiest day of my days at Ferrari so far. It feels great to put Ferrari on the podium and get my first P2 in the main race. So proud of the team and their hard work. The car feels much better, and we have great reliability. We’re not where we want to be yet, but this result is encouraging. I’m excited for what’s to come.”
• Charles Leclerc P4: “I’ve finished the race now, and I can definitely say it is the worst weekend of my F1 career so far. There is no one to blame but me. I was struggling since Friday’s FP. On this track with bumps, confidence is everything, and if you don’t have it, you can’t do much. I couldn’t put the tyres in the window, but there’s nothing wrong with the car, as Lewis proved. He did an incredible job, and that position is the maximum we could’ve hoped for at this circuit. The only positive of this weekend is that I have Lewis in the same car, and I can look at what he did. And try to get answers on why I was struggling so much”.

Lewis Hamilton with the trophy for his P2 finish in Canada.

Technical analysis of the cars

A look at each of the top four teams' updated or adapted vehicles for the Canadian GP.

-Scuderia Ferrari: SF-26. No new elements for the Canadian GP, only track-specific parts.

• Front wing: The more traditional version delivers more downforce, helping at corner entry, but also adds extra drag. In Canada, it was positive on the overall pace.
• Front suspension: Inspired by Mercedes a few years ago, the SF-26 front suspension wishbone can change the angle. On the monocoque side, a plate that is interchangeable links the wishbone, allowing it to be positioned higher or lower. In contrast to Miami, in Canada, the element was positioned higher and forward. This development was not seen on any other car on the grid, yet.
• Front brakes: Cooling adapted to the Montreal circuit, the most demanding on the calendar.
• FTM (flick tail mode)-wing: No update in Canada, development expected in Barcelona.
• Energy Recovery System: The ERS deployment hit a ceiling out of T10, resulting in time loss on the long straight. Hamilton adjusted his approach to mitigate the limitation.
• Chassis and Power Unit: Considered the best chassis on the field, held back by the Power Unit deficit.
• Cooling: On the sides of the engine cover, one cooling outlet was visible. That was possible due to the lower temperatures over the weekend.
• Cornering: On the low-speed turns in the hands of Lewis Hamilton, the SF-26 was ahead of the field in Canada.
• Top speed/drag: Higher drag than direct rivals, the front wing dictates the airflow through the racer shape.
• Weight: In Barcelona, another weight reduction package is expected.

-Mercedes: W17. The German team brought the first major upgrade of the season, consisting of an aero, software and weight reduction package. Seven new components:

• Front wing: A new type of front wing with redesigned endplates to improve performance. The outside upper wing has a new tiny vertical diverter, the same as the footplate of a curved shape. Trying to generate outwash on the front tyres. The front wing elements linkage was repositioned lower than previously.
• Front brakes: Adapted cooling system to the circuit demands, enlarged section between the wheel and inner element and visible larger outlets.
• Sidepods: A modified shape of the sidepods towards the rear, aiding the downforce and better tyre control.
• Floor: A new floor version, with visible modified floor edges in front of the rear wheel (so complex that Sam Collins, F1 tech analyst, couldn’t tell the details). And the leading edge (cake tin) forward zone was redesigned.
• Difusser: On the trailing edge of the top of the diffuser, there are three glisters (close to egg shapes). Two of them are linked towards the rear suspension. Not clear their purpose, but the guess is either sensors or to strengthen the floor's flexibility. The floor modifications show the intention to better seal the diffuser, increase the downforce and limit the disruptions from the so-called tyre squirts.
• ERS: The updated software aims to improve the start-up procedure, which was a weak point of the W17. It reads the grip level during the start procedure.
• Cornering: Strong on all types of turns, almost on par with the SF-26 through some of the low-speed corners. Excellent traction out of the slow turns.
• Top speed/drag: The already low drag level was further improved with the new aero bits.
• Weight: It receieved a weight reduction package in Montreal, boosting its pace.

-McLaren Mercedes: MCL40. At the Canadian GP, the Woking-based team brought the second phase of the major upgrade, estimated at 40% of the whole pack. Seven new elements, among which are:

• Front wing: Modified endplates, the outer footplate has a slightly changed shape, sporting a more aggressive shape.
• Front brakes: Increased cooling outlets to cope with the track demands.
• HALO:  A new double winglet on top of the main element to improve the airflow and aero efficiency.
• Floor: The trailing edge in front of the rear wheel has similar changes to those of Mercedes W17, but with fewer elements. A visible channel targets to improve the sealing of the diffuser.
• Rear suspension:  Modified geometry to better tyre management throughout a stint.
• Rear wing: Altered endplates aiming to increase the performance. Subtle, sculpted inner and outer edges of the endplates.
• FTM (flick tail mode)-wing: A revised version of the FTM-wing to help add extra pressure at the rear.
• Cooling: A revised engine cover and cooling louvres. Amplified cooling outlets on the engine cover laterals, adapting to the track characteristics. The rearmost part of the engine cover (trailing edge) has an altered profile targeting more downforce.
• Cornering: Despite the shorter wheel base, MCL40 wasn’t affected by the track conditions in Canada; corner speeds were competitive.
• Top speed/drag: Higher drag than Mercedes W17, but less than Ferrari SF-26.

After the Friday Free Practice session, McLaren returned to the Miami-spec front wing, as the new one didn’t offer the expected performance. The limited running didn’t provide enough data.

-RedBullRacing: RB22. The Austrian outfit brought four new parts for the Canadian GP.

• Front wing: A new version aiming to optimise the balance and revised endplates.
• Front brakes: Cooling adapted to the Montreal toughness on braking.
• Floor: A completely new model debuted, building on the Miami-introduced chassis-floor link element.
• Chassis and Power Unit: The RBRPT-Ford Power Train has around 20-22 HP over the Ferrari.
• Cooling: A new engine cover to boost the cooling.
• Cornering: Through the low-speed turns in Canada, the RB22 was losing 0.5s to others, especially SF-26. Balance issues, being overweight and lower downforce contribute to the big margin.
• Top speed/drag: Similar drag level to that of Mercedes W17, aided by the strong Power Unit.
• Weight: The weight reduction introduced in Miami by around 6 kgs boosted the car's pace. But remaining overweight, the Austrian team targets the home GP to reach the minimum weight limit.

Drivers and Team

After the technical upgrades (Miami pack), Ferrari’s on-track performance in Canada was put to the test.

-Sprint Qualifying, Sprint race, Qualifying and Race debriefs:

• Sprint Qualifying. Without the mistake on T12 hairpin, and Leclerc brake problems, the two could’ve locked out the second row on the grid. The excellent traction of SF-26 through the low-speed turns makes it superior to its rivals. But the time gained in S1 and S2 is partially lost through the long flat-out S3 due to the power deficit.
• Sprint Race. Both drivers managed to keep up with McLaren for most of the contest, with Leclerc being +0.31s off the pace and Hamilton 0.40s from Norris’ benchmark. Lewis pressed from early on, stressing the tyres which gave away towards the end. Charles had a tempered pace, keeping his C4s in better shape throughout the Sprint.
• Qualifying. Track temperatures and tricky grip levels made the preparation lap crucial for a strong qualifying performance. Lewis maintained his strong pace from Q1, setting the benchmark in S1. However, in Q3, the SM (straight mode) wasn’t active, and Hamilton was already 0.2s off at T1, a snap at T7, which forced him to abort the lap, leaving him 0.290s behind Russell.
• Charles Leclerc, despite significant set-up changes, struggled to get the tyres into their optimal window. Early mistakes on his final lap limited his result, finishing +0.398s from pole in P8.
• Race. Lewis Hamilton showed impressive speed throughout the Canadian GP, particularly on C4 medium compound. He found a pace advantage through S1 as early as Friday practice, consistently outperforming rivals from T1 to T6. In Sunday’s race, Hamilton adapted his driving, compensating for the power shortage on the long back straight out of T10. By sacrificing some speed on S1 for better momentum in S2, he minimised the time loss on S3.
• Charles Leclerc struggled throughout the weekend, from Friday practice to the race. He couldn’t find the grip with the SF-26, hindered by the colder track temperatures, bumps and getting the tyres in the optimal window. During the race, Leclerc was 0.36s slower than Lewis, but matched Hadjar’s pace even on older tyres in the final stint.
• Race pace. Teams top 5: Mercedes quickest. 2/3. Red Bull Racing/Ferrari +0.22s/+0.23s. 4. Alpine +1.32s. 5. Williams +1.45s.
• Drivers top 5: Kimi Antonelli fastest. 2. Max Verstappen +0.22s 3. Lewis Hamilton +0.23s. 4. Isack Hadjar  +0.53s. 5. Charles Leclerc +0.59s.
• Fastest laps- Top 5 drivers: 1. Kimi Antonelli 1:14.210 on lap 68. 2. Max Verstappen 1:14.398 +0.188 on lap 68. 3. Lewis Hamilton 1:14.573 +0.363 on lap 61. 4. Isack Hadjar 1:14.578 +0.368 on lap 67. 5. Charles Leclerc 1:15.297 +1.087 on lap 38.
• Pitstops: Not the best pitstops at the Canadian GP from the Ferrari pit crew, as Lewis and Charles lost some time during the process. Lewis Hamilton's stop on lap 41 was 4.31s, the 24th fastest and Charles Leclerc at the same time was 3.23s, 13th quickest, but he lost more time double-stacking behind the sister car.
• Top 5 fastest pit stops: 1. Racing Bulls for Liam Lawson, on lap 30, a 2.20 pit. 2. McLaren for Lando Norris on lap 2, a 2.26 stop. 3. Audi for Gabriel Bortoleto on lap 18, a 2.57 pit stop. 4. Red Bull Racing for Max Verstappen on lap 31, a 2.58 stationary. 5. Williams for Carlos Sainz on lap 2, a 2.62 pit.

Team news

• Lewis Hamilton, race engineer Carlo Santi continues to work with him, until Cedric-Michel Grosjean takes his permanent role.
• As recent news surfaced on the upgraded Ferrari Power Unit to debut in Austria, the reliable sources indicate the deadline is unchanged, and the Belgian GP is the target for the improved engine. Despite its approved homologation from FIA in April, the changes on the ICE demand more dyno running to check/improve the reliability.

Tribute

• Today marks 71 years since the passing of the late great Alberto Ascari, an iconic driver for the Scuderia Ferrari, winning two consecutive world titles in 1952-1953, the only Italian Ferrari F1 champion. He lost his life during a test for the team at the Monza circuit in 1955.

"It's more crucial that Ferrari wins. It doesn't matter who's driving it. As long as Ferrari wins".Enzo Anselmo Ferrari.

The podium finishers at the 2026 Canadian GP.

General News

-The 2026 Canadian Grand Prix notes: Mercedes first upgrade of the season helped its drivers to keep the front rows locked in both Sprint Qualifying and Qualifying sessions.

• George Russell outqualified his teammate Kimi Antonelli by 0.068s on both occasions. Even though Antonelli was quicker through S1-S3, while Russell aced S2 (T8-T9 superior all weekend), the errors from the young Italian cost him P1 against George.
• Kimi Antonelli vs George Russell for 31 laps in the race was a thrilling duel, but unfinished, as the Brit retired due to a PU failure, leaving his younger teammate to take the 4th consecutive win. A feat no other driver reached in the history of the sport: the first four wins of his career consecutively. It extends his championship lead over George to 43 points.

2027 Power Unit changes

• Despite an agreement between the teams, FIA and FOM to change the 2027 Power Units power balance from 55/45% to 60/40% V6/MGU-K (Kinetic- Motor Generator Unit), significant challenges remain.

Power gain solution

• In addition, Ferrari, Audi and Honda are against the new direction due to the complexity involved in adapting their Power Units. Raising the fuel flow would boost ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) power, but this adjustment requires a significant redesign of the V6 components. These changes would lead to extra costs and put even more strain on the budget cap.

Chassis carry-over

• Furthermore, some teams have expressed a preference to use their 2026 chassis for the 2027 campaign. This approach could lead to compatibility and performance issues with the new rules.

Race distance

• As a result, to neutralise the higher fuel consumption from increased fuel flow, reducing the race distance by 1-2 laps per circuit is considered. However, this measure is under discussion, and more talks are expected between teams and entities.

Possible delay

• Besides, other sources suggest the 60-40% power split between V6 and MGU-K is to be delayed to 2028. This was a preliminary blueprint; more discussions will take place to establish the direction.

In two weeks' time, the next round is on the streets of the Monaco Principality, the home race of Charles Leclerc. Many consider, including the championship leader Kimi Antonelli, that Ferrari is the team to beat at the slowest circuit on the calendar, due to the car's strengths.

Sources/references: AutoRacer.it, Autosport.com. The-Race.com and other reputable F1 news outlets. Trustworthy YouTube channels (F1 Official, MotorsportCast, Peter Windsor, etc) and technical pages. Photos: Courtesy of Scuderia Ferrari and F1 Official Facebook pages.

An AutoRacer article from 13 May presenting a comparison of the SF-26 front wing against the Mercedes W17, McLaren MCL40 and Red Bull Racing RB22. The article is in Italian but the browser translation in English (or native language) easy to understand the descriptions.

 

This article provides an in-depth look at the Miami GP, expect a 15-17 minute read, covering the race review, technical insights and the latest news. Sources: AutoRacer.it, Autosport.com. The-Race.com and so on. Trustworthy YouTube channels (F1 Official, MotorsportCast, Peter Windsor, etc) and technical pages. If you’d like to collaborate or contribute in any way, feel free to reach out.

TL;DR: Ferrari's early promise in the Miami GP slipped back due to tyres, slow pit stops, a late penalty for Leclerc and Hamilton surviving with a damaged car. The article covers the race review, technical deep upgrades analysis for top teams and the rule changes impacting the season.

The photos: Scuderia Ferrari Official Facebook Page. And the F1 Official Facebook Page.

 

Circuit configuration

 

-The 2026 Miami Grand Prix- Miami International Autodrome:

-Length: 5.412m.

-Number of turns: 19.

-Number of laps: 57.

-Circuit type: Rear limited track.

-Traction: important.

-Track evolution: High. On sector three, the long straight. It increases the importance of the aero efficiency.

-The 250 kW limit was increased to 350 kW, but for Miami, only in selected sections of the track.

-For qualifying, the MJ limit was decreased from 9 to 7 MJ per lap. Still in Miami, like in Suzuka, the limit was upped to 8 MJ.

-Active aero zones: from T8 to T11 flat out zone, T16 to T17 straight and T19 to T1 line. Overtake Mode detection: T18.

-Pit duration: around 20s on normal speed and around 10-11s under SC/VSC.

-Pirelli tyres: C3-Hard. C4-Medium. C5-Soft.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari SF-26 negotiating T1 at the Miami Autodrome.

Weekend schedule

-Free Practice summary (60 minutes each session) *lengthened by 30 minutes to check the rules and cars: 54°C track and a green surface for the sole practice, both drivers started on C3 hards, briefly tried C5 softs, returned to C3, before finishing with C5s for qualiyfing simulations. Given the major SF-26 upgrades, full understanding will take time. Charles and Lewis took new power units for the Miami GP.

-Sprint Qualy 1-12 minute length: Mandatory C4 tyres in use. 52°C asphalt and a 1:29.2 for Leclerc and a 1:29.6 for Hamilton after the first push laps. Second laps saw the two improve their times to 1:28.7 and 1:29.2 respectively, with Leclerc the benchmark on S2.

-Sprint Qualy 2-10 minute length: Mandatory C4 tyres in use. Continuing the solid effort from SQ1, the Ferrari pair produced two initial 1:29 laps, improving Charles with a 1:28.4 and Lewis a 1:28.9. On the second run, only Leclerc improved to a 1:28.3 lap, good enough for P4, and Hamilton stayed P7.

-Sprint Qualy 3-8 minute length: Mandatory C5 Pirelli in use. Only one fast lap from both drivers in the final segment. Charles qualified on P4 with a 1:28.2 and Lewis on P7 with a 1:28.8, and they had errors on T11 and T17, respectively. The two suffered again because the ERS (Energy Recovery System) was not fully working.

-Sprint Race 19 laps: On a 53°C circuit, both Ferraris started on C4S. Leclerc jumped to P3 past Antonelli, while Hamilton battled Verstappen but remained P7. Charles defended against Kimi, as Lewis set the fastest lap and overtook Verstappen, only to swap places again after an off-track moment, with Max finally taking the position on lap 10. Leclerc shadowed Piastri in P2 throughout, using OT (Overtake Mode), but a late mistake at T11 ended his challenge. Leclerc finished P3, Hamilton P7.

-Qualifying 1-18 min(six drivers eliminated): 52°C and a used set of C5 for both drivers for the first fast lap, Charles did a 1:29.4, Lewis a 1:29.5. The two remained on the same set of tyres for the second lap, Leclerc set a 1:28.9, Hamilton a 1:29.4.

-Qualifying 2-15 min(six drivers eliminated): Wind picked up and changed its direction during the session. On a new set of soft Pirelli, Lewis upped his game and set a solid 1:28.477 on the first push lap; Leclerc did a 1:28.542. Second run for the two saw Charles improve his initial effort to a 1:28.315; Lewis didn’t better his banker lap. Both were comfortably into Q3.

-Qualifying 3-13 min(10 drivers battle for pole position): 51°C track and windy conditions, both Ferraris ran new C5s. The first flying laps were crucial as the track evolved. Leclerc set the fastest S1 and posted a 1:28.143 for P2, but was demoted to P3 by Verstappen’s late lap. Hamilton qualified P6 with a 1:38.191, saying he couldn’t extract the car’s maximum and remained P6 after minimal improvement.

Charles Lerclerc P3: “It was on the limit. We are not fast enough yet. The significant package helped us, but here and there we need to improve a little bit. It was a tricky qualifying; the wind was changing from run to run, so the car was behaving differently. Especially in T12, there was a massive difference between laps; it made it tricky to put a lap together. P3 is a good starting position, and I am looking forward to tomorrow. It was quite a big hit when I ran over the kerb on the exit of T8, but I don’t think it affected the end result (possible floor damage). It looks like a wet race; how much and when it’s still to be defined”. Completing the analysis on another interview: “Unfortunately, it’s a little bit worse than yesterday (Friday). I don’t think we anticipated the grip would get high. Our race pace is strong, and we start one place ahead of the Sprint start. Hopefully, we can look ahead in the race”.

Lewis Hamilton P6: “We changed the car going into Qualifying. It was a much, much better day-to-night difference. In hindsight, I wish we had started the weekend like that. That’s how Charles started. I was learning through the session. Q2 was solid, then in Q3 I struggled, I didn’t extract the most out of it”.

-Race 57 laps: 34 °C track temperature and a high risk of rain. All starters opted for the C4 medium compound.

• Start & Early laps: With a brilliant launch from P3 and a measured approach into T1, Leclerc jumped into P1, narrowly avoiding Verstappen’s spin. Hamilton had to take avoiding action into T3, due to Max spinning and losing a position. Lewis reclaimed P6 before T17, despite damage from earlier contact with Colapinto. Charles battled with Antonelli and Norris, swapping the lead with the Italian before settling back as the Safety Car was deployed on lap six. After the restart, Lando took control, Leclerc struggled with tyre degradation, dropping to third, behind Antonelli.
• Middle-Race: By lap 20, the order was Norris, Antonelli +2.6s, Leclerc +4.5s, Piastri +0.8s, Hamilton +3.0s. Leclerc's slow pit stop, changing the C4 to C3 compound (right front going off), cost him track position, rejoining in P12 behind Russell. He was unsatisfied with the decision, as the threat of rain could have been a costly act: “Why did we stop? When is the rain?” The  discomfort continued on lap 23: “Next time you make a decision, please speak with me. I am here as well”. He fought back through the field, reaching P4 after overtaking George Russell. Hamilton, limited by the damage, maintained P6, while Leclerc couldn’t match the leading duo's speed.
• Final laps: By lap 40, Charles reduced the gap to Verstappen. Lap 45, Charles caught the Dutch and took the position into T1, but Max responded through the quick T4-T5 turns. Leclerc saved energy to deploy it successfully into T11, for good and pulled 2s clear from Verstappen. Hamilton ran in P7 in no man’s land, yet he wasn’t that much adrift of Russell’s Mercedes in P6 at +6s. With three laps to go, Oscar, now in P4, was closing on Leclerc. Charles’s tyres were gone and he couldn’t hold on the faster McLaren dropping to P4. On the last lap, forcing the exit of T3, with the rears worn, he spun and touched the wall with the left side, damaging the car. He limped home and did his best to stay P4, but with damaged steering, Leclerc lost two more positions to the finish line, down to P6 with Hamilton in P7. After the race, Leclerc received a 20-second time penalty for corner-cutting and contact while defending, dropping him to P8. Lewis Hamilton jumps a position into P6.
• Lewis Hamilton P6: “I think if the car was in one piece, on the way to grid, I felt the car pretty good, we could have been more competitive, and I felt optimistic for today. But I was held up at the beginning when Max spun; I was in the wrong position. And then the damage that I’ve got after I had nothing”.
• Charles Leclerc P8: “I am disappointed with myself. The last lap mistake is all on me. It costs us a P3 or P4; more likely, it would’ve been a P4. But the P3 was still right there. I am so disappointed with myself; mistakes happen. But when it’s on the last lap, it is frustrating, and I am not at the level where I should be. It’s been a very strong start to the season, not many mistakes. This one luckily doesn’t cost us too many points, but it could have ended on the wall, and that’s it”.

Regardless of the result, Ferrari's upgrades made Miami an encouraging weekend; telemetry showed the straight-line deficit to Mercedes was reduced by 0.2s.

Charles Leclerc at the start of the race heading into T1, with Hamilton in the background.

Technical analysis of the cars

After the long April break, the return to action in Miami gave teams the chance to improve their racecars, bringing major upgrade packages.

-Scuderia Ferrari: SF-26. On April 22nd, the team had a filming day at Monza, an occasion to test new items on SF-26. 11 new elements were officially presented to FIA, and among those components are:

• Front wing: with a more curved endplate and a vertical element at the outer footplate, creating a visible otuswash effect.
• Front suspension: upper wishbone rear linkage now has a multipoint link for improved handling.
• Front brakes: redesigned inboard front brake element for better cooling.
• Wakeboard/bargeboard: the main element is longer and now a three-piece design to work with the front brake duct trailing edge element.
• HALO: Two carbon fibre winglets on the central pylon, now legal.
• Difusser: The exit was lengthened to increase downforce.
• Floor: heavily revised mouse hole, updated floor edges and diffuser.
• Rear wing: The “Macarena” now has two supports instead of one for structural rigidity, squared-off endplates, new wing supports and elements. The activation mechanism was revised, and a new thin vertical element was added at the centre of the top plane.
• Rear wing Opening: at 270°, to reduce the drag.
• Straightline Speed: This rear wing version aims to offer a +8 km/h on straights and aid in recovering 6-7 kW.
• FTM (flick-tail-mode) wing 2.0: Works close to a blown diffuser (previously used in the 2010-2011 seasons), creating an upwash effect to support the rear wing.
• Rear Impact Structure: an array of minuscule winglets appeared.
• ERS (Energy Recovery System): various mappings tested to optimise the recharge/deployment, especially in qualifying.
• Weight reduction: Lighter components with a mass decrease of around 4kg, estimated to boost the pace by 0.15s.
• All these changes helped the SF-26 take another step forward, especially in corner entry and mid-phase grip, leading to generally improved downforce. These visible advancements in the car’s behaviour on track inspired optimism that the team is closing the gap to the front—each upgrade a sign that Maranello is pushing relentlessly.

-Mercedes: W17. Had a filming day at Silverstone, like other rivals. But didn’t bring any significant components to the Miami GP. Two track-specific components.

• FTM and front brakes: An exhaust bracket (own version of the flick-tail-mode wing) in two elements and an adjustment to the front brake ducts.
• Chassis and Power Unit: It has a strong chassis integrated excellently with the best power unit on the field.
• Acceleration: Delivers the most linear acceleration of all motorists.
• Cornering and straights: Out of the medium and high-speed corners is the best vehicle, and on the 2nd part of the straights, it maintains a steadier speed, unlike others.
• Race start: During the filming day at Silverstone, the focus was mainly on the race start procedure. It conducted hundreds of simulations to improve the matter. McLaren and Red Bull Racing did the same, but to a lesser extent.

At the Miami GP, the W17’s rear suspension was set too rigid for Friday and the Sprint, limiting both drivers' performance. Before the qualifying, Mercedes adjusted the set-up by resolving the issue. Antonelli overcame an ERS problem (batteries discharged at the start of the lap) in Friday’s SQ3, but not so in Saturday’s qualifying.

-McLaren Mercedes: MCL40. McLaren brought several updates to Miami. Seven components in total, six for performance and one for reliability.

• Front wing: mainplane and changed endplates, designed to improve airflow and front-end grip.
• Front brake: ducts altered the cooling system.
• Wing mirror: New mirror support housing displaying a curved shape instead of the square version.
• Wakeboard: main elements were revised. A remote vertical forward section and a sculpted trailing edge element. The two low-position elements were addressed, and the forward support element was split into two for aerodynamic aid.
• Sidepods: Subtle shape revisions.
• Floor: At the front of the floor, a series of strakes has appeared. Similar to what Ferrari or Audi had since the start of the season.
• Rear suspension: Minor geometry adjustments to preserve tyres and improve the traction.
• Cooling: The engine cover presents six tiny cooling louvres and no gills on the laterals. But at the back, it has a huge opening to cool the internal components.
• Flick-tail-mode wing and diffuser modifications: A tiny blockage element to the exhaust tail pipe, and underneath, a minuscule winglet. This was possible to achieve because the team said it’s a supporting device, not an aerodynamic element.
• ERS: updated software mappings for increased efficiency harvesting and deployment, mainly out of the slow corners.
• Weight Saving: MCL40 earned another weight reduction package by using lighter materials in some of the non-structural components.

For the first time in 2026, the MCL40 received a considerable upgrade, with Norris noting the rear felt much more planted through corners. The improvement was evident in his Sprint win on Saturday, and matching pace with Mercedes’ Antonelli in the race.

-RedBullRacing: RB22. The Austrian outfit had a filming (testing) day at Silverstone, trying new elements on its racer. Like McLaren, the same number of new parts.

• A new front wing.
• Front suspension: corrected upper wishbone and pushrod geometry to enlarge the tyre contact patch and steering input.
• Front brakes: The brake linlet scoop is part of a bigger upgrade. Interestingly, the brake duct is blanked off, but from the rear, it has enormous cooling outlets. It helps for more mass flow between the tyre and the inner plate, which is the only way to cool the brakes.
• Wakeboard: Like McLaren, it has a two-element support with an extra linked element to the central one, with two pick-up points in the chassis.
• Sidepods: Spotted reshaped sidepods displaying a more dramatic downwash effect. Inspired by the 2022 RB18 with its “waterslide” shaped sidepods. The aim of this direction is to help feed the diffuser better. With a closer look, the inside zone of the sidepods displays like a gulley section along the body to the rear, feeding the so-called “mouse” hole in the diffuser.
• Side Impact Structure: The front and rear SIS components are bulged into the front edge of the sidepod, tightening that area.
• A new engine cover.
• HALO: Two winglets on the central HALO pylon (Ferrari-inspired).
• Floor: At the rear edge, in front of the rear wheel, three distinctive aero elements try to direct airflow into the diffuser. Another new detail appeared behind the three diverters with the same goal.
• FTM wing: At the rear, the flick-tail-mode wing sports the closest version to that of SF-26. A visible plate that blocks the exhaust gases with two small winglets lower on its sides.
• Rear wing: The component that took eyes, some called it a rotary wing. It was believed to be inspired by the Ferrari version, but sources suggested that Red Bull presented its own version to the FIA in the summer of 2025.
• Rear wing opening: at 160° in the opposite direction to that of Ferrari.
• Drag: It further reduces the already low drag of the RB22.
• Weight reduction: Still overweight, but received a 7kg diet in Miami.

During February’s Barcelona shakedown, Verstappen reported issues with the RB22’s steering input. Red Bull addressed this by introducing a new steering system at the Silverstone filming day, solving the problem. The upgrade contributed to closing the gap to the leading pack in Miami.

All top teams introduced a new Power Unit at the Miami GP, marking the start of this season’s engine rotation strategy. For the next round in Canada in three weeks' time, more upgrades are expected. It’s Mercedes’ turn to bring a substantial package; Ferrari, McLaren and RBR are continuing to add other components to the current packages.

Drivers and Team

Analysis of the important sessions of the race weekend with numbers and insights.

-Sprint Qualifying, Sprint, Qualifying and Race debrief: Sprint Qualifying. On C4, both drivers performed as expected. Switching to C5S, ERS issues limited improvement; Leclerc gained just 0.1s from SQ2 to SQ3 and was 6km/h slower on straights, losing 0.3s.

-Sprint Race. Leclerc kept pace with the leading McLaren and pulled clear of the Mercedes duo, but the power unit and ERS limitations in S1 prevented further progress.

• Sprint - Teams pace: McLaren fastest, Ferrari +0.24s, Mercedes +0.35s and RBR +0.52s adrift, others +1s.
• Sprint - Drivers' pace: Lando Norris quickest, Oscar Piastri +0.15s, Charles Leclerc +0.24s, Kimi Antonelli +0.35s, Max Verstappen +0.52s, George Russell +0.54s and Lewis Hamilton +0.97s behind.
• Qualifying: Through Q1 and Q2, both drivers were on par with rivals. Lewis was learning the set-up changes made after the Sprint, and in Q2, he set a solid lap. But in Q3, he couldn’t replicate the effort. Leclerc suffered once more from the ERS deployment, costing him lap time.
• Race: After the solid first part of the race, the pace dropped drastically the moment the tyres were going off. On medium C4, Leclerc could stay in contact with the leading duo, Norris and Antonelli. On the C3 Pirelli, the rhythm was adrift and collapsed in the last few laps before Charles spun. For Lewis, the comparison is tougher to account due to the damage sustained on his car, hurting his speed. The damaged bargeboard and floor lost 10-15 points of downforce, translating into around a 0.5s deficit per lap.
• Race: Drivers pace: Antonelli quickest, Norris +0.006s, Piastri +0.44s, Leclerc +0.54s, Russell +0.80s, Hamilton +0.98s (damage) and Verstappen +1.03s. All drivers were on the medium-hard strategy.
• Race: Teams pace: Mercedes fastest, McLaren +0.006, Ferrari +0.54s, RBR +1.03s.

-GP Fastest laps: 1. Lando Norris 1:31.869 on lap 35. 2. Oscar Piastri 1:31.949 +0.080s on lap 30. 3. Kimi Antonelli 1:31.968 +0.099 on lap 34. 4. George Russell 1:32.446 +0.577 on lap 53. 5. Charles Leclerc 1:32.515 +0.646 on lap 44. 6. Lewis Hamilton 1:32.676 on lap 29 +0.807.

-Pit stops: Not the standard work from the Ferrari pit crew at the Miami GP, as the two pit stops for Leclerc and Hamilton were quite slow. On lap 21, Charles' pit was 3.41s, costing time and rejoining in traffic. Lewis' pit on lap 27 was even slower, at 3.60s, with him rejoining in P9. Ferrari pit stops were 16th and 19th, respectively.

The best pit stops during the GP were:

• Racing Bulls fastest on lap 25 for Lindblad, a 2.08s pit stop.
• Mercedes 2nd on lap 26 for Antonelli, a 2.16s stop.
• Mercedes 3rd for Russell on lap 20, a 2.17s pit stop.

"It's more crucial that Ferrari wins. It doesn't matter who's driving it. As long as Ferrari wins".Enzo Anselmo Ferrari.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-26 through T17 at the Miami GP.

General News

-The 2026 Miami Grand Prix takeaways: The April break didn’t stop Kimi Antonelli's excellent form, and the 19-year-old Italian continued to impress. Kimi won the Miami GP, but he had to work for it as his slow start dropped him to 3rd. But Antonelli was up to speed, and the quick pit stop helped him to exit right behind Norris, overtaking him and controlling the rhythm. The Mercedes driver didn’t put a single foot wrong and took his 3rd consecutive win of the season and of his career, extending the championship lead over his teammate. Only Mika Hakkinen and Damon Hill managed to win their first three race consecutively, but Antonelli is the first one in F1 history to win three GPs from pole position.

Rules Impact and Future Changes (Expected)

Following the three meetings during the April break between the FIA, FOM and teams to modify the regulations for safety and better racing, the following agreement has been reached. For approval, the vote was required to have a majority, not unanimity, and on 20 April, the vote was for:

Super Clipping Power Increase

• The maximum power allowed for Super Clipping (extra energy deployment) was increased from 250 kW to 350 kW. Improving the speed drop and delivering more consistent power throughout the lap.

Super Clipping Duration Reduced

• However, the duration of Super Clipping was cut from 190m to 50m per straight (only 2-3 seconds used). Teams have to use the boost more strategically as the window narrows.

ERS (Energy Recovery System) Harvest reduction

• The allowed ERS recharge per lap was reduced. This was believed to favour Mercedes, as their Power Unit is the best. Ferrari and Honda were against these implementations.

ECU (Engine Control Unit)

• The FIA standard component was addressed to not react when a driver lifts the throttle by more than 98% to prevent issues that impacted Leclerc and Russell in Japan’s qualifying. It gives the driver more control in his push lap, preventing power cuts.

Qualifying Harvesting Limit

• The energy harvest limit for qualifying was reduced from 9 MJ to 7 MJ per lap, allowing drivers to push harder on the fast laps.

Start Procedure Safety modification.

• For safety If a car is inert or starts slowly, a FIA-controlled boost from the MGU-K will help get the car in motion. Any abuse of this rule will be penalised, as the FIA announced.

2027 expected power split

• Discussions are ongoing for a 60/40 power split between the V6 engine and the MGU-K (~650 HP from the Internal Combustion Engine) for 2027.

As teams reveal their latest technical innovation, the ever-evolving F1 rulebook adds new layers of complexity. The following changes and proposals are shaping the 2026 season and beyond.

Other rule proposals (not approved)

Other rules were discussed during those meetings, but weren’t approved. Also, some of the talked-about topics were covered. Among those are:

• Increasing the fuel flow energy/h from 2500  to 3300 or 3500, according to the Red Bull Racing proposal, but others and the entities opposed. Due to reliability concerns, as presented in a previous article.
• Despite many voices indicating that the ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunites) for Power Unit manufacturers will be applied from Miami, it wasn’t the case. The Index of Performance (a classified document, not presented publicly) will be first adopted after the Canadian GP and will evaluate each Power Unit supplier, allowing for work on improvements starting from the Monaco GP.
• As Mercedes has the strongest power unit in 2026, the competition understood what needed to be done to reach a similar level of performance. All manufacturers aim for a stable compression ratio (16.1) during the cold and hot sequences that the V6 engine goes through during its functioning period. Thus would increase the efficiency, improve power output for longer intervals, and require less fuel.
• Nikols Tombazis, the FIA Single-Seat director, informed the teams that Miami, Canada and Monaco aren’t suited for more notable rule changes. And that these GPs will be considered as a test bench for further modifications, in Barcelona at the earliest.

The podium finishers at the 2026 Miami Grand Prix.

Power Unit Performance Target

A bit of a debate during the April hiatus, between Mercedes and Ferrari, over each other's power units. The Italian team said the German rival doesn’t run its motor at maximum capacity, while Mercedes suggests that Ferrari hides its real performance of the power unit. While the top leading power unit Mercedes possibly uses less power to block rivals of using a larger amount of ADUO. Ferrari tries (paddock talk) to further limit the power of its engine to be within a wider margin of ADUO. The latest estimations indicate that Mercedes and Red Bull Racing PowerTrains won’t qualify for any of the ADUO programme. While Ferrari and Audi will benefit from the 4%-6% margin, Honda is likely to get the last one beyond 8% off the best engine on the grid.

Future Engine Formula

The FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, confirmed during the Miami GP that the long-term goal is the return of the V8 engines with minimal hybrid power by 2030. Some teams want this even earlier (2028 or 2029). But Audi and Honda strongly opposed, saying that their heavy investments were to develop the current Power Units.