Martin Brundle says Ferrari’s ‘confidence’ with their 2026 F1 car is so ‘nice to see’

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Martin Brundle has welcomed Ferrari’s show of ‘confidence’ with their 2026 Formula 1 car. The Scuderia impressed during testing both in terms of performance and innovation.

Charles Leclerc set by far the fastest lap time of the winter, outpacing the rest of the field by eight-tenths of a second. It’s highly likely that Ferrari turned their engine up, but optimism remains high.

Most estimates place Ferrari in the top two or three, perhaps just behind Mercedes. Even after a winless season, a title challenge doesn’t appear to be out of the question.

During the second Bahrain test in particular, Ferrari pushed the boundaries. They briefly ran with an ‘upside-down’ rear wing that amazed the paddock, and while their exhaust wing could be even more effective.

Bernie Collins and Martin Brundle praise Ferrari exhaust wing

Ferrari have shelved their unique rear wing for the moment. It won’t be on the car in Melbourne but could return for well-suited circuits.

The exhaust wing could be here to stay, though. As Bernie Collins explained on the F1 Show, the team are trying to channel the exhaust gases upwards towards the rear wing to generate more downforce.

Former engineer Collins called it a ‘brilliant’ concept, while Brundle said the aggressive approach was ‘nice to see’. Fred Vasseur asked Ferrari’s design team to be bold at the start of the new era.

“They’ve got this little extra element that’s just sat somewhere where we would have a monkey seat on some of the cars,” Collins said.

“That element appears to be taking those exhaust gases and feeding that rear wing with it, producing a bit more downforce. Brilliant from Ferrari.

Brundle replied: “Isn’t it nice to see Ferrari with that confidence, and they just generally looked very good, didn’t they, through the test?”

What does Martin Brundle think about Lewis Hamilton’s 2026 chances?

If Ferrari are truly as good as they looked in Bahrain, it could transform the outlook for Lewis Hamilton. It’s no coincidence that Hamilton’s best performance of 2025 came in China, when he won the Sprint.

That was arguably the only point in the entire season when Ferrari were on par with McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes. Hamilton is undoubtedly energised by the prospect of victory.

Martin Brundle says Hamilton seems ‘happier’ in the new generation of cars, which should automatically translate to better results.

Brundle is ‘confident’ about the seven-time world champion’s chances, but warned that Leclerc is also ‘right on it’. The Monegasque beat Hamilton in 18 of the 21 races that both drivers finished last season.