Ferrari may now have to sacrifice their ‘rocket-launcher’ starts after spotting problem in the data

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Ferrari may have to make a strategic call to nullify their rapid starts in an effort to raise the car’s overall ceiling.

During winter testing, David Croft called Ferrari’s car a ‘rocket-launcher’ off the line, and that has continued into the early rounds of the season. The team have gained a combined 21 positions on the opening lap so far (including Sprints).

Only Williams (22) have gained more, but they have the ‘advantage’ of starting much further down the field. Charles Leclerc took the lead from Mercedes in Australia and Miami, while Lewis Hamilton briefly hit the front in China.

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Ferrari’s turbo design is giving them great starts but costing them top speed

Ferrari’s starts are down to a deliberate design choice, with the team opting for a smaller turbocharger that requires less preparation during the grid procedure. According to Motorsport Italia, it’s around 10mm smaller in diameter than the Red Bull and Mercedes designs.

In addition to improving the starts, the design also helps to recharge the battery at lower revs, but there’s naturally a cost too.

Ferrari have seen in their data that the turbo is costing them around seven horsepower at higher revs. This reduces their overall top speed.

• READ MORE: F1 teams complaining ‘behind the scenes’ that Ferrari have unfair advantage with 2026 engine rules

As they plan the development of the engine, they are likely to ‘revise’ the turbo, ‘giving up a little in acceleration’ so they lose less time on the straights overall.

They still intend to stick with the smaller design, but their strength off the line won’t be quite as pronounced, particularly as rival teams like Mercedes improve their inconsistent getaways.

Lewis Hamilton has highlighted Ferrari’s lack of straight-line speed

Speaking to outlets including ESPN after the Miami GP, sixth-place finisher Hamilton said Ferrari had to ‘look into’ their shortcomings in a straight line.

Hamilton repeatedly complained about a lack of power during the race, but this was likely connected to the battery rather than the internal combustion engine.

Ferrari’s weaknesses could be particularly pronounced at the Canadian GP later this month, one of the most power-sensitive circuits on the calendar.

“I’m looking forward to it, but we need to see if we can cut some drag before the next race,” Hamilton said. “Because on the straight line we’ve got that deficit, and so we’ve got to have a look into that.”