Ferrari to ‘correct’ SF-26 upgrade that ‘didn’t meet expectations’ with Barcelona Grand Prix update

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Ferrari are set to introduce their second upgrade package for the SF-26 at the 2026 F1 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix to try to correct the failures of their updates in Miami.

The Scuderia have identified this weekend’s race in Montmelo as the ideal chance to deliver further updates for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, as they try to reduce their deficit to Mercedes. It will be a smaller upgrade package than in Miami, where they had 11 new parts.

Ferrari have often been the second-quickest team so far this year, but they remain without a Grand Prix victory after the first six rounds. The Maranello crew hoped their upgrades at the Miami Grand Prix this May would change the script, but Mercedes have remained unbeaten.

Kimi Antonelli is going for his sixth straight win at the Barcelona GP. Who’s your pick for the top step of the podium?

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Ferrari hope to correct their front wing upgrade at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix

Ferrari unveiled the most updates by any team at the Miami GP, with a total of 11 upgrades for the SF-26. But despite their new front wing, rear wing, floor, diffuser, and front and rear suspension parts, Ferrari’s upgrades in Miami performed worse than their simulations said.

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In particular, Motorsport.com now reports that Ferrari’s front wing upgrade at the Miami GP ‘didn’t meet expectations’. So, the Scuderia intend to debut another front wing upgrade this weekend at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP, in a bid to ‘correct’ the shortcomings of the design.

Additionally, Ferrari will take another version of their Macarena rear wing to Barcelona after working to further improve its efficiency. The pride of Italy finally raced the reversible wing in Miami and Canada, but it was not used in Monaco as F1 blocked the use of straight mode.

F1 banning straight mode on the streets of the Principality saw several teams, from Red Bull to Cadillac and McLaren to Mercedes run one-off rear wings in Monaco. Ferrari did not have a special wing, as they did not want to add weight or waste a chunk of their cost cap budget.

Instead, Ferrari have focused their resources on delivering more upgrades at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP this weekend. F1 has given the race in Montmelo a new name this season due to the series moving the Spanish GP from Barcelona to Madrid, with the race in September.

What impact Ferrari’s updates in Barcelona have on the SF-26 may set the tone for the next leg of the season. While Hamilton took successive P2 finishes in Canada and Monaco in the past two Grands Prix, the mood at Ferrari soured after the failure of their updates in Miami.

It was said after the Miami GP that Ferrari feared McLaren and Red Bull had overtaken them in the pecking order behind runaway leaders Mercedes. But Hamilton beat Max Verstappen on merit for P2 in Canada and finished P2 in Monaco, albeit after the Red Bull racer retired.