Ferrari F1 Chief Warns Of a Potential Grid Reset In Miami: “It Will Probably Be Another Championship”
Ferrari Formula One team principal Fred Vasseur has warned of a potential reset of the competitive order from the upcoming Miami Grand Prix, given the unplanned month-long gap teams got to develop their cars. The first three races of the 2026 F1 season saw Mercedes dominate the grid, with Ferrari not too far behind. Also in the mix was McLaren, given Oscar Piastri’s second-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix.
While the season was to continue in April with the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs, the military conflict between the U. S. and its ally Israel against Iran led to the cancellations of those races.
As a result, the entire month of April will help teams in developing their cars, an opportunity they would not have received if it hadn’t been for the war. This will also allow teams struggling with the new regulations, such as Red Bull, Aston Martin, and Williams, to iron out the issues on their cars. Read More from MotorBiscuit: FIA Warns Against Rushing 2026 F1 Rule Changes After Oliver Bearman’s 50G Crash Jos Verstappen Opens Up About his Son Max Verstappen’s F1 Future Amid Race Engineer Exit FIA Announces Potential Amendments to 2026 F1 Regulations After Meeting Over “Difficult Topics” Chinese Grand Prix, Sunday, Getty Images SHANGHAI, CHINA – MARCH 15: George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W17 leads Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Scuderia Ferrari SF-26 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on March 15, 2026 in Shanghai, China.
(Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images) Vasseur believes the month-long gap has the potential to change the competitive order, something that could be seen in Miami, as teams will likely bring upgraded cars to the Miami International Autodrome in the first week of May. Speaking to RacingNews365 , Vasseur stated that Ferrari’s goal is to win races and added the need to catch up with Mercedes in the developmental race. He said: “The target is to be on the podium and to win race.
“We have a deficit of performance on Mercedes, this is clear and in the power-limited section, it means that we have to do a better job, we have to improve. “But overall that we are not that far away. ” Vasseur said that things could change from the race in Miami, and a ramping up of the developmental race could take place throughout the 2026 season.