In Miami, the FIA technical document listing all team developments is expected to be extremely long, almost like a scroll. Ferrari will be one of the teams introducing a significant number of updates on the SF-26, with changes affecting multiple areas of the car from the front section downwards. However, rivals across the grid are preparing similarly extensive upgrade packages.
“In Miami, a different championship will begin,” Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur has said. His comments were not meant to suggest a reset in competition, but rather to highlight how heavily revised the cars will be at this stage of the season. In many respects, it will feel like a partial restart of the competitive order, even if the reality is more gradual than dramatic.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s working relationship and Ferrari structure
At this stage, Ferrari has not yet made a final decision on who will permanently serve as Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer, although Carlo Santi has already established a strong working relationship with the seven-time world champion. The Italian engineer from Verona, initially appointed on an interim basis, could remain in the role beyond the Miami Grand Prix if the current collaboration continues to deliver positive results.
For now, there is no urgent need for structural changes within the garage, and both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are continuing to build consistency with their respective engineering teams. The current gap between races has also provided an unusually long development window. Without the traditional summer shutdown, teams are effectively operating with near winter-break levels of factory access, allowing full-scale upgrades to be processed and refined.
However, Ferrari engineers are also aware that introducing too many new components at once can create correlation challenges between factory simulations and track performance. In previous seasons, similar situations have required additional time to properly optimise new parts once they were introduced on track.
Ferrari and McLaren preparing major SF-26 and MCL38-style upgrade packages
Both Ferrari and McLaren are expected to introduce significant upgrade packages that effectively modify around half of the car’s aerodynamic structure. For Ferrari, the SF-26 update includes an evolved floor concept and a new front wing design, while retaining the current nose structure. These components are scheduled to be fitted during the filming day at Monza on Wednesday, April 22, before being prepared for competitive introduction at the Miami Grand Prix weekend.
Theoretical performance gains are expected to be noticeable across the grid, with improvements potentially reaching several tenths of a second, although precise gains remain difficult to quantify due to the complexity of modern power unit and aerodynamic interactions.
Red Bull Racing is also focusing heavily on a so-called “recovery package” designed to stabilise the RB22 concept, which already benefits from a strong power unit foundation. Meanwhile, Mercedes remains something of an unknown in terms of visible upgrades for Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. The W17 is already considered a highly efficient aerodynamic platform, with very clean surface design as a base.
Mercedes, however, continues to rely on one of its key strengths: the ability to deploy electrical energy efficiently without excessive wheel spin. This helps preserve battery deployment over race stints and reduces unnecessary energy loss. As a result, Mercedes currently maintains a broader operational window across varying circuit conditions.
Rising temperatures and F1 technical challenges from May onwards
From May onwards, rising ambient temperatures are expected to become a major factor for all teams. The current generation of Formula 1 cars already places heavy demands on thermal management systems, particularly due to higher engine rev usage required for energy recovery.
This places additional stress on cooling systems, especially during hotter races like Miami, which is expected to be an early real-world test of thermal efficiency. As a result, teams may already begin adapting bodywork designs with more open cooling solutions or less tightly packaged aerodynamic surfaces.
FIA energy usage rule changes and further regulation updates
Meanwhile, the FIA and Formula 1, in agreement with all teams, have introduced adjustments to energy deployment regulations starting from the Miami Grand Prix. These changes reduce the extremity of energy usage in specific conditions and introduce additional safety measures for race starts and wet-weather scenarios.
Upcoming engine monitoring regulations and performance impact questions
Looking ahead, June 1 will mark another important regulatory milestone, as the FIA will begin implementing dual measurement checks—both cold and hot testing—on internal combustion engine compression values.
Whether these new monitoring procedures will have a direct impact on performance remains uncertain. However, they represent yet another variable in an already complex and tightly contested Formula 1 season, where small technical margins could significantly influence the competitive order for both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari.
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