Charles Leclerc has gone further than any Ferrari driver usually goes before a landmark upgrade.

Speaking ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin, the Monegasque admitted that the fundamental issue holding the SF-26 back is not something a new floor or revised sidepods can straightforwardly cure.

“The raw potential of the car is not at the level of our main competitors,” Leclerc said, framing a problem that goes deeper than aerodynamics.

He also picked apart one of the few patterns that had flattered Ferrari in recent weekends: looking strong on Fridays and then drifting backwards as qualifying approached.

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“I’m not sure we are particularly good on Fridays. It comes more from the engine modes that others are running,” Leclerc said. “Once we come to qualifying, they just have something that we don’t.”

The Austin package Ferrari is pinning its hopes on

The upgrade arriving at the Circuit of the Americas on 23-25 October is the team’s largest of 2026 and, by the team’s own planning, the last significant aerodynamic development before the SF-26 is set aside for the 2027 project.

Reporting out of Maranello describes a complete floor rework aimed at adding downforce and widening the car’s operating window, together with revised sidepods and cooling bodywork intended to trim drag on the straights.

The sidepod and bodywork elements may wait until the Mexico City Grand Prix the following weekend, with the new floor the headline item in Austin.

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Italian insiders quoted in the build-up expect a “significant leap in performance”. Leclerc, on the record, is not making that promise.

134 points behind Mercedes, with six rounds to go

Ferrari go into the Austin weekend second in the constructors’ championship on 444 points, 134 behind runaway leaders Mercedes, who have 11 wins to Ferrari’s two, according to the current standings. Lewis Hamilton won in Barcelona earlier in the year; Leclerc took the team’s other victory at Silverstone.

McLaren and Red Bull sit third and fourth, within a dozen points of each other but more than 100 adrift of Ferrari. The constructors’ runner-up slot is the realistic target now on the table, not the title.

Team principal Fred Vasseur has tried to keep the focus internal rather than on what rivals bring.

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“If someone is bringing upgrades next week, the classification can change. But the most important thing is to be focused on ourselves,” Vasseur said.

From “small steps” to “it’s not enough”

The caution in Leclerc’s language has been building for weeks. Earlier in the month he said Ferrari had “a few things coming” but doubted the parts would “revolutionise our performance and pace”, calling them small steps in the right direction.

After finishing second to Max Verstappen at the Singapore Grand Prix on 11 October, he went harder.

“It’s not enough. We’ll push to the end and we’ve still got to bring some new things to the car to be at the level,” Leclerc said in Singapore.

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Ferrari’s drivers hit the track at the Circuit of the Americas for first practice on Friday 23 October, with final practice and qualifying on Saturday and the grand prix on Sunday 25 October.

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