Fred Vasseur's gamble paid off. Ferrari pulled focus from last year's title chase in April to nail the 2026 regs, and the Scuderia sits second in both championships at the break with a B+ grade. The upside-down Maracena wing and exhaust winglets turned paddock heads — bold innovations rivals quickly copied. Ferrari rolled out the best chassis to start the season, maybe the outright best, and has dropped fresh aero updates at every race since.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc each won, and Hamilton trails only Kimi Antonelli in the driver's championship. The weakness is power: Mercedes gains several tenths on the straights, neutralizing Ferrari's chassis edge. Execution stumbles in Austria and Hungary left points on the table. The real question is whether this breakneck development pace holds after the break, or if Mercedes' more measured approach closes the gap. For now, Ferrari sets the standard. When did that last happen?
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