'Ferrari backed to challenge Mercedes in Miami with major SF-26 updates'

As reported yesterday, the Maranello outfit took to the track at Monza for a filming day which, despite the 200km limit, still represented a key turning point in Ferrari’s season.

At the Italian circuit, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton ran a heavily revised SF-26, featuring a new front wing and floor, fin elements at the base of the halo, and above all a revised version of the ‘macarena’ wing first seen at a GP weekend in China, which on paper should deliver a significant boost in top speed.

The SF-26 has shown strong potential on the chassis and aerodynamic side over the opening three races, but has been held back by weaker energy management and outright power compared to Mercedes, widely regarded as having the best power unit on the grid.

Despite that, GPblog readers are placing strong faith in the new package, with 71 percent of yesterday’s poll believing Ferrari can take the fight to the W17 of Russell and Antonelli at the next round in Florida.

While readers believe Ferrari can challenge Mercedes, others argue that without a power upgrade it will not be enough, especially with rival teams continuing to develop ahead of Miami, as one user pointed out.

Speaking in a recent interview with McLaren’s website, Stella downplayed the rumours, saying he took them lightly and even found them amusing. He dismissed talk of astronomical salaries and supposed pre-contracts as typical of the rumour mill, joking that the “silly season” appears to have arrived earlier than usual.

He added that he is well used to this kind of speculation and treats it with a smile, likening it to an attempt to disrupt something positive at McLaren, while stressing that the team knows exactly how to separate what is genuine from what is not. McLaren CEO Zak Brown also addressed the rumours, explaining the Italian team boss' responsibilities at length.