Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Formula 1 returns at Miami this weekend with technical changes agreed during the five-week break, and the immediate question is whether they will cut into Ferrari’s strengths while tightening Mercedes’ grip on the start of the 2026 season.
Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes the answer could be significant. He said the power-unit regulation changes coming into effect at the Miami International Autodrome will “take away a major Ferrari strength and help all Mercedes-powered teams,” after the FIA, Formula One Management, drivers and teams agreed what needed to be changed.
That agreement was not straightforward. FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis said the key figures met during the unexpected interlude and had to move beyond their “comfort zone” before a “genuine consensus” was reached on the adjustments that begin this weekend.
Even so, Miami may not settle the debate immediately. Former F1 driver David Coulthard said the grand prix will not deliver a clear answer on the impact of the changes, pointing to complaints from drivers across the opening three rounds and the meetings held through the April break before the tweaks were finalized.
The uncertainty matters because Mercedes arrive with a perfect record so far. The team has won all three races in 2026 and leads both championships, having been commanding in qualifying through the opening stretch. There were signs in Japan that the gap in race trim was beginning to narrow, but Mercedes still start Miami as the benchmark, even with reliability still an area to sharpen.
Kimi Antonelli’s rise has strengthened that position. In only his second season, the Italian has surged to the top of the drivers’ standings after back-to-back wins in China and Japan, becoming F1’s youngest-ever championship leader. He has made clear he is ready to fight for the title despite his relative inexperience, while George Russell remains confident he can answer after an opening run disrupted by smaller issues.
Ferrari have more at stake if Montoya’s reading is right. Fred Vasseur’s early switch of focus away from the 2025 car and onto the new-rule 2026 machine has helped lift the mood at Maranello, with Charles Leclerc taking two podiums in three races and Lewis Hamilton described as loving driving again for the first time since 2021. Ferrari have introduced notable ideas, including a flippy rear wing, but they still have not found enough pace to win. That makes Miami pivotal as the team brings an upgrade package aimed at closing the gap to Mercedes.
McLaren could be the team best placed to exploit any shake-up. Oscar Piastri pushed Mercedes hard in Japan before finishing second for the team’s first podium of the season, a result that suggested its early struggles in Australia and the failures in China did not tell the full story. Team boss Andrea Stella said McLaren now has “all the tools that are required to extract the most out” of the Mercedes power unit, with the emphasis now on improving the chassis.
That work is accelerating. McLaren plans to introduce a “completely new car” across Miami and Canada, a development path set before the long break and one that carries extra weight now that the regulations have shifted underneath the field. If the changes do favor Mercedes-powered teams, McLaren have a chance to turn Miami into more than a reset after the break and make it the start of a direct fight with Mercedes and Ferrari at the front.