Through two races, Ferrari is the second best team in Formula 1. This is good news. The bad news is that the second one is not particularly close to the first.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished on the podium in the opening two rounds, but Mercedes won both races with one-two finishes each time. The Scuderia remained fast enough to keep things interesting in the early stages, then saw Russell and Antonelli slip away while the red cars sorted out their problems. It's a familiar sting dressed up in new rules.
What's different this year – really different – is what's happening between the two drivers.
Internal rivalry could pose a big problem for Ferrari
Last year was a wasted opportunity for Ferrari. The car was never good enough to put Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in a position to actually race each other, so the rivalry everyone paid to see never materialized. China distributed it. The two continued back and forth through Shanghai for most of the afternoon. You had overtakes, re-overtakes, a brief moment of contact that Hamilton called "just a kiss" and only separated when Hamilton made a decisive move on lap 40 and went clear.
Russell, who trailed behind them for a significant portion of that battle, said it was some of the most aggressive racing he had seen in some time. High praise from the man who won the race.
But Ferrari cannot let that internal battle become every Sunday's story. Charles Leclerc later admitted that the team probably did not optimize their race as both drivers opted to capture the podium rather than manage the deficit to Mercedes.
"I enjoyed the battle and the only big negative I would say is the gap to Mercedes, who on days like this, we can see they are a big step ahead of everyone else, so we have to work harder."
Both drivers made the call immediately, and neither one was wrong. But Mercedes crossed the line 25 seconds earlier. That difference does not reduce on its own.
Ferrari needs Suzuka to be fruitful
The Suzuka Circuit is going to offer a valuable lesson for Ferrari, and it is one they are keen to learn. With its fast, flowing layout, this track prioritizes mechanical balance, and Ferrari's SF-26 has already demonstrated its raw speed. while the team is Introducing a revised rear wing and updated halo winglets for the weekend, it's holding off on the full upgrade package until Miami. This is no high-risk gamble for Ferrari; It's like a complete reconnaissance mission.
Due to the upcoming event the results of Round 3 will be more far-reaching than usual. With the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix canceled in the wake of the Middle East conflict, the Japanese Grand Prix of Suzuka marks a significant pause in action, with the next event not on the calendar until May. As a result, whatever results Ferrari achieved in Japan would remain the only point of reference for over a month – a long period to grapple with any outstanding questions or concerns about their performance.
The ideal weekend looks something like this: both drivers finish on the podium, Ferrari keeps Mercedes honest for longer periods of time than in Melbourne and Shanghai, and the team walks away with data it can actually use. The Nightmare Edition is another entertaining Hamilton-Leclerc battle in which both of them waste time while Russell and Antonelli race to the front without any interruption.
Through two rounds, Hamilton has at least caught up with Leclerc. Given Charles Leclerc's position in the sport right now, it says a lot about Lewis Hamilton's form. The competition between them is real and worth watching. Ferrari just needs to create weapons aimed at Mercedes, not each other.
