[Saba Sports News] Following the Miami Grand Prix, discussions over the competitiveness of the Ferrari car have quickly intensified. Lewis Hamilton publicly stated that Ferrari needs to thoroughly study rivals’ breakthroughs in front-wing design, which he believes is the key reason why McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull have pulled clear in performance.
It was a weekend packed with upgrades, and Ferrari brought as many as 11 updates in one go, including revised front-wing endplates and a reworked flipped rear wing. Although Charles Leclerc once topped the timesheets in practice sessions, Ferrari failed to sustain its pace in the main race and ultimately missed out on the podium. Leclerc dropped to eighth due to on-track mistakes and penalties, while Hamilton could only secure a mid-grid finish.
By contrast, upgrades from rival teams delivered more immediate results. Particularly in the front-wing area, multiple outfits have optimized airflow and downforce distribution. Red Bull restructured the three front-wing elements and endplates to enhance aerodynamic stability; McLaren further strengthened its overall front-wing structure for greater efficiency across different running conditions. Hamilton believes such technical gaps are already reflected in on-track performance, pointing out that Ferrari’s front wing is already one generation behind its competitors.
In my opinion, Hamilton has repeatedly commented in interviews that Ferrari lacks competitiveness and lags behind in development updates, making it difficult to keep pace with the front-running pack. Though the phrase “one generation behind” is not his exact wording, it aligns with the current technical consensus: the Ferrari SF-26 indeed falls short of top cars such as the Mercedes W17 in the coordination of front wing and floor aerodynamics.