Ferrari will likely be among the many groups prone to make a “big step” in efficiency on the Miami Grand Prix as they aim closing the hole to Mercedes in what is going to nonetheless show a “wide open” 2026 season on the entrance, says Sky Sports activities F1’s Martin Brundle.
Brundle believes that F1’s return to motion within the USA will likely be “like a relaunch of the season” after the game’s enforced April break with groups having had prolonged time to work on “dramatically changed and, hopefully, improved cars” with potential to shuffle the pecking order.
Mercedes will resume the marketing campaign as clearly the workforce to beat after profitable all three races to this point with Drivers’ Championship chief Kimi Antonelli and team-mate George Russell.
Ferrari and their drivers are closest to Mercedes within the standings with team-mates Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton separated by eight factors in third and fourth place within the Drivers’ Championship having engaged in entertaining wheel-to-wheel battles in each China and Japan.
On Hamilton, who broke his Grand Prix podium duck for Ferrari on the season’s second spherical in Shanghai earlier than a tougher weekend at Suzuka when he completed sixth with Leclerc third, Brundle informed Sky Sports activities Information: “Lewis clearly enjoys these automobiles way more.
“Ferrari is extra aggressive and I feel once more will make an enormous step for Miami.
“Lewis clearly prefers one of these automotive to the seasons we had with the ground-effect automobiles that had been smashing towards the bottom and had been fairly brutal issues, it did not appear to go well with his type.
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With Method 1 returning this weekend in Miami after an prolonged break, we glance again at what occurred throughout the first three races of the season
“But just his mood and just the way he’s going about it, he just seems a lot happier because Ferrari is more competitive.
“He is obtained to beat Charles Leclerc if he will win the world championship within the different Ferrari, and others.
“Let’s see if he can sustain that. If there’s a sniff of a victory, I think Lewis is still very much capable of taking that.”
Hamilton, when nonetheless at Mercedes, and Leclerc final gained races in 2024 with Ferrari’s personal victory drought stretching again to October of that yr, when Carlos Sainz gained in Mexico Metropolis.
The season resumes with the yr’s second Dash weekend in Miami, a race which McLaren have gained in every of the previous two seasons, though Mercedes stay favourites owing to their 100 per cent profitable begin to F1’s new period of laws in 2026.
However Brundle believes it’s nonetheless too early within the new ruleset and automotive growth for a definitive order to have emerged with 19 races left this season.
“I think it’s totally wide open,” mentioned Brundle.
“We’ve got obtained a Dash weekend in Miami, so there are Dash factors to be gained, Grand Prix factors to be gained.
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Martin Brundle thinks Miami will really feel like a relaunch to the season after guidelines updates and enforced break from F1
“This is going to ebb and flow. I see teams leapfrogging others with some upgrades because there is so much upside potential with these cars.
“Anyone I might say within the prime 4 groups, any of these eight drivers, might win this yr’s world championship.”
Sky Sports F1’s Miami GP schedule
Thursday April 30
7pm: Drivers’ Press Conference
10pm: Paddock Uncut
Friday May 1
2.35pm: F2 Practice
4.30pm: Miami GP Practice One (session starts at 5pm)*
7.25pm: F2 Qualifying
8.10pm: Team Bosses’ Press Conference
8.40pm: Miami GP Sprint Qualifying (session starts at 9.30pm)
Saturday May 2
2.55pm: F2 Sprint
4pm: Miami GP Sprint build-up
5pm: MIAMI GP SPRINT
6.30pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook
8pm: Miami GP Qualifying build-up*
9pm: MIAMI GP QUALIFYING*
11pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook*
Sunday May 3
5.25pm: F2 Feature Race
7pm: Miami GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
9pm: THE MIAMI GRAND PRIX*
11pm: Miami GP reaction: Chequered Flag*
12am: Ted’s Notebook*
*Also on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 returns from Friday with the Miami Grand Prix, the season’s second Sprint weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
