David Croft fears Ferrari are ‘in trouble’ after Miami Grand Prix upgrade misses targets

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David Croft believes Ferrari are in trouble after a disappointing Miami Grand Prix saw their 11 new upgrades for the SF-26 fail to aid their charge.

Ferrari began the 2026 F1 season with high hopes. Lewis Hamilton was a rejuvenated figure following a tough debut season in Maranello, and their technical innovations in pre-season warned rivals of a hungry Prancing Horse for the ensuing season.

Which F1 team were the biggest disappointment at the upgrade-heavy Miami Grand Prix? 📊

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The first few rounds of the season reflected the hard work that the Maranello-based engineers had put in over the winter break, but their deficit to Mercedes suggested that there were still a lot of areas for improvement.

Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, the iconic Italian outfit prepared 11 new upgrades for the SF-26, and Ferrari staff believed the new parts would flip the ‘script’ of the championship landscape. Unfortunately, that never came to fruition in South Beach.

• READ MORE: Ferrari brought 11 upgrades to Miami Grand Prix but they can’t fix the problem they’ve had for years

David Croft shares concerns about Ferrari after tough Miami GP despite 11 new upgrades

Speaking via The F1 Show, F1 commentator David Croft shared his thoughts on Ferrari’s disappointing weekend in Miami.

“Unless you’re like McLaren, who say that there are more upgrades to come in Canada as well, then Mercedes could easily be half a second clear in Montreal if it all goes their way,” Croft started, highlighting how the Silver Arrows delayed their upgrades until the Canadian GP.

“I don’t know what it is with Ferrari. That small turbo is great in the opening laps, but as the fuel kind of burns off with the other cars, they don’t have that advantage from the smaller turbo.

“It becomes a disadvantage for them. Would Lewis Hamilton have featured more without losing all that downforce early on in the race?”

Can Ferrari still win an F1 title in 2026?

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The voice of Sky’s coverage then noted how disappointing the weekend was from Ferrari’s perspective, adding, “To come home with a sixth and an eighth, from an upgrade weekend, that’s a massive disappointment.

“Albeit some of it can be explained by Lewis’s tyres overheating in the sprint and then the damage he got in the Grand Prix.

“But yeah, I hope, on the drawing board somewhere at Maranello, they’ve got another upgrade package that works a little bit better. Otherwise, they’re in trouble.”

• READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton has ‘heard’ that McLaren’s Miami GP upgrades were much better than they expected

David Croft also slammed Charles Leclerc for his ‘ridiculous’ last-lap antics

Croft also pointed out Charles Leclerc’s disastrous ending to the Miami Grand Prix. The Monegasque was hunting down Oscar Piastri on the final lap of the race, before disaster struck on the exit of turn two.

Leclerc’s SF-26 was sent careening into the barriers, and he was slapped with a 20-second time penalty after cutting a multitude of corners in his attempt to limp to the chequered flag.

“Charles Leclerc was running third until he got overtaken and then binned it,” Croft said. “I don’t understand why he went off the track four times in that last lap.

“That just seemed ridiculous, to be honest. He thought he had suspension damage, but he didn’t. He could have stayed on the track, gone a little bit slower, and avoided a 20-second penalty.”