Mark Hughes on what contributed to Ferrari's improvement

      Mark Hughes, a renowned British expert, discusses the prospects of Ferrari in the pages of The Race and concludes that this team should be considered a serious contender for the championship win.

      Was the Ferrari car faster than Mercedes in Barcelona? On race day, it was not entirely clear – due to differences in tactics and tire choices. There was very strong tire degradation at the Catalan circuit, especially since the asphalt heated up to 50 degrees, which caused significant difficulties.

      The difference in the "age" of the tires easily explains why Lewis Hamilton was quickly closing the gap on Medium tires after his second pit stop.

      However, in qualifying, he lost to George Russell, the pole holder, by just 0.064 seconds, on one of the most technically challenging tracks, which indicates that the Ferrari SF-26, considering recent technical innovations, is capable of a very high pace – despite the power deficit compared to Mercedes.

      Moreover, this deficit may be smaller than it seemed in the first five races, the results of which were taken into account in the ADUO program, which gives teams additional opportunities for upgrading internal combustion engines (ICE).

      And now, with the results of this program, Ferrari has the right to make two improvements to the ICE, so there was no reason for the Scuderia not to demonstrate the full potential of their engine in Barcelona.

      However, judging by GPS data from the cars of these two teams obtained during qualifying, Ferrari still lags behind Mercedes in hybrid system efficiency. This difference is also decreasing, but the SF-26 is navigating corners even faster than before, aided by the latest set of technical updates.

      Since the red cars exit corners faster, the energy deficit from the electric component is less impactful. Overall, when discussing the reasons for Ferrari's rapid progress, it includes both aerodynamic innovations and, likely, the decision to use extreme engine operating modes – although it is unclear how much these two factors influenced the final result of the Barcelona-Catalonia Grand Prix.

      But it is clear that this car handles corners better than any other and also excels in downforce balance. This suggests that such advantages are related to the aerodynamic concept of the chassis created in Maranello.

      In particular, the Italian team interpreted the technical regulations in their own way, which is why the differential on the SF-26 is positioned in a special way, with additional space behind it where aerodynamic auxiliary elements are installed, which also contribute to generating downforce and directing more air to the rear wing.

      In fact, this additional space allows for a larger volume diffuser, and combined with innovative solutions around the exhaust system's end, all of this enables the generation of more downforce.

      That is why Lando Norris, a McLaren driver and reigning world champion, stated in Barcelona: "We are lucky that Ferrari does not currently have the best engine. If they had a more efficient motor, they would dominate. Right now, they handle corners better than anyone else – we are lagging significantly in that regard. If they achieve improvements in engine efficiency, they will make life difficult for everyone."

      Rumor has it that at the Austrian stage, the Ferrari team will receive power units with upgraded ICEs, and the next stage of modernization will be timed to the Dutch Grand Prix. This may include a larger turbine.

      And although Mercedes also received the right to make one modification to their engines, it is not entirely clear when they will be able to take advantage of this right, and whether it will be enough to offset Ferrari's aerodynamic advantage. In any case, the Scuderia unexpectedly has a truly fast car, and in this context, the 41-point gap between Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton no longer seems insurmountable.