Chandhok: Ferrari's Miami upgrades fall flat, leaving team vulnerable

Ferrari's Miami Grand Prix upgrade package underwhelmed, according to former F1 driver and Sky Sports analyst Karun Chandhok, who suggested the Scuderia has actually slipped behind its rivals. After a strong start to the season with impressive race starts from Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, the upgrade was expected to propel Ferrari forward. Instead, Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) won ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Hamilton finished sixth and Leclerc eighth after a 20-second penalty.

Why it matters:

Ferrari entered 2026 with high hopes after a promising early season, but if its first major upgrade of the year fails to close the gap, the team risks being left behind as Mercedes and McLaren prepare further updates. The Miami result suggests the Scuderia's development path may need a rethink.

The details:

• Chandhok on Sky Sports F1: "If that is the big Ferrari upgrade for this early part of the season, then McLaren and Mercedes won't be worried."
• He added: "Miami should have been the weekend which propelled them in front. I feel like they've slipped behind. There should be a little bit of concern at Maranello."
• Ferrari's upgrade focused on aerodynamic and mechanical changes, but track performance didn't match pre-race optimism.
• Sky's David Croft speculated about a possible turbo issue: "Is it that small turbo that's great in the opening laps, but as fuel burns off, it becomes a disadvantage?"

What's next:

Chandhok warned Ferrari must find more performance quickly. "They've got to think about whether there's further performance to be optimized from this update. Otherwise they will get dropped behind when McLaren adds bits expected for Canada and Mercedes gets its big upgrade." Croft added: "I hope on the drawing board at Maranello there's another upgrade package that works better. Otherwise, they are in trouble."