According to Martin Brundle, Ferrari has reached a new level in 2026. The former driver believes that several innovations from the Scuderia, now copied by its rivals, demonstrate its rise in power.
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Ferrari is one of the great satisfactions of this 2026 Formula 1 season. Thanks to a competitive SF-26 from the first races, the Scuderia has established itself as one of the main rivals to Mercedes in the fight at the front.
For Martin Brundle, this progress is not limited to results on track. The former British driver believes that Ferrari is now sufficiently ahead in certain technical aspects to inspire its competitors.
“A very good sign”
According to Brundle, the team led by Fred Vasseur has shown great boldness in the design of its car.
“They have done an excellent job this year. You can feel that they have more confidence in their car. They dared some quite innovative, even avant-garde solutions.”
The former F1 driver notably cites some aerodynamic innovations developed in Maranello, including the famous wing nicknamed the ‘Macarena wing’, but also other technical elements since adopted by several teams.
For him, this is a particularly revealing indicator.
“The wing is a good example. There are also other elements, like their exhaust design, that some teams have copied. It is always a very good sign when your competitors draw inspiration from your solutions.”
Brundle also believes that Ferrari shows more calmness in its strategic management during races.
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“They also seem much more confident in their strategic choices during Grand Prix.”
Hamilton fully revived
Martin Brundle also highlights the positive influence of Lewis Hamilton within the Scuderia. After difficult seasons with the previous ground effect cars, the Briton seems much more comfortable with the technical regulations introduced in 2026.
This regained confidence is felt at all levels of the team.
“Lewis loves this generation of cars. He did not like the previous ground effect cars. If you add that to the current momentum, everything flows naturally.”
According to Brundle, this positive spiral benefits both the driver and Ferrari as a whole.
“When you are happier, the whole team is too. The car works better, it preserves the tires more and everything becomes simpler. This is exactly what we see currently at Ferrari.”
Thanks to a competitive car, a technical philosophy that now inspires the competition, and a Lewis Hamilton back in confidence, Ferrari thus approaches the second half of the season with strong arguments to continue putting Mercedes under pressure in the title race.
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