Ferrari's Miami Upgrade Fails to Deliver, Raising Concerns for 2026 Title Hopes

Ferrari arrived in Miami with high hopes after a five-week break, bringing a significant upgrade package to challenge the frontrunners. But the results were underwhelming: Charles Leclerc finished eighth after a late spin, and Lewis Hamilton limped to sixth with early damage. The upgrades failed to close the gap to McLaren, who dominated the Sprint, and Mercedes, who won the Grand Prix with Kimi Antonelli.

Why it matters:

Ferrari's disappointing Miami performance has sparked doubts about their ability to compete for the championship this season. With McLaren and Mercedes both finding more pace, the Scuderia risks falling behind in the development race if their upgrades don't deliver the expected performance.

The details:

• Race results: Leclerc was on course for fourth before spinning on the penultimate lap and clipping the barrier. Hamilton drove most of the race with damage from a Lap 1 collision with Franco Colapinto.
• Upgrade impact: The Ferrari package didn't produce the expected step forward, while McLaren's upgrade transformed their car. Mercedes won despite delaying their own major update until Canada.
• Turbo paradox: Ferrari's fast starts (Leclerc took the lead in Miami) are aided by a smaller turbo on their power unit. But Hamilton has repeatedly noted a lack of race pace compared to rivals. The small turbo may help off the line but become a disadvantage as fuel burns off and other cars gain efficiency.

Between the lines:

• Karun Chandhok was blunt: "If that is the big Ferrari upgrade for this early part of the season, then McLaren and Mercedes won't be worried." He added, "I feel like they've slipped behind."
• David Croft questioned whether the small turbo is a hidden weakness: "Is it great in the opening laps, but as the fuel burns off... it becomes a disadvantage?"
• Ferrari's strong starts have masked deeper issues, but in a title fight, consistent race pace matters more than initial bursts.

What's next:

The F1 circus heads to Canada for another Sprint weekend (May 22-24). McLaren is expected to bring further upgrades, while Mercedes will debut their major package. Ferrari's plan is unclear — they may need to unlock more performance from their current update or risk falling further behind.

"I hope on the drawing board somewhere at Maranello, they've got another upgrade package that works a little bit better, otherwise they are in trouble," Croft concluded.