Ferrari pushing innovation amid early Mercedes deficit

Mar.17 (GMM) Ferrari may have emerged as the clear second force behind dominant Mercedes in the early weeks of the 2026 Formula 1 season – but the Maranello team is not standing still.

After two rounds, the Italian outfit appears comfortably ahead of ‘big four’ rivals McLaren and Red Bull, but still lacking the outright pace of the Mercedes-powered leaders.

Ferrari’s response is a continuing wave of technical innovation.

So far this year the team has introduced several eye-catching ideas, including the so-called ‘Macarena’ rear wing concept, a small wing element near the rain light and exhaust, and the best race starts on the grid.

During practice in Shanghai, Ferrari also trialled small aerodynamic wings at the base of the halo, although the idea has now been withdrawn amid fears of a political backlash from rival teams over its legality.

The team is nevertheless continuing to push development aggressively.

Team boss Frederic Vasseur confirmed that a major upgrade package is in preparation and will be evaluated during a filming day at Monza ahead of the Miami GP.

“We were planning to update the car for Bahrain, but we’re forced to postpone it until Miami – it will now be the fourth round,” he said.

With the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races cancelled due to the Middle East conflict, the longer gap between rounds has reshaped Ferrari’s development schedule.

“The longer break between rounds will allow us to prepare additional solutions for Miami, even if it’s an ‘update and a half’,” Vasseur explained. “The work schedule was set in advance, but we’ll adjust it accordingly.”

Vasseur admits that Mercedes currently holds a clear advantage, particularly in engine performance.

“I would like us to be faster. We know that we have a performance gap, especially on the straights, that we need to work on,” he said.

The Ferrari boss believes an upcoming technical directive regarding engine compression ratio checks may not dramatically change the competitive picture.

“We don’t expect a significant impact from the technical directive regarding compression,” Vasseur said. “But at some point the ADUO will come in and that will give us the opportunity to catch up.”

Still, he insists Ferrari’s focus is broader than just engine power.

“We shouldn’t focus on just one thing – we need to improve all aspects of the car,” said Vasseur.

“We need to work on the tyres, aerodynamics, chassis, suspension – everything. We’re ahead of McLaren and Red Bull, but they will also improve.”

Vasseur is also firmly opposed to further rule changes aimed at addressing the unusual race start behaviour seen across the grid this year – an area where Ferrari currently excels.

“When I raised my hand a year ago and warned everyone there would be problems, they told me everyone should design their cars according to the existing rules,” he said.

“That’s what we did.

“Since then the rules have already changed with an extra five seconds and blue lights at the start, which didn’t help us. I’d say that’s enough. For us, this issue is closed.”

Meanwhile Ferrari is expected to race the ‘Macarena’ rear wing in Japan after shelving it following practice running in Shanghai.

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