Despite the disappointing Hungarian Grand Prix results, Ferrari is back in contention for both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships.
After finishing fourth in the Constructors' Championship in 2025, Ferrari ended the first half of the 2026 season second in the team standings. With 307 points to their name, the Prancing Horse is trailing Mercedes by 72 points, which isn't an insurmountable challenge.
As the F1 paddock rests for the summer break, let's pause, look back, and analyze Ferrari's current trajectory in 2026.
The Highs
1. Lewis Hamilton finally winning in red
There's no better topic to start talking about Ferrari's positives this season than Lewis Hamilton's first win with the team. Mercedes won each of the first six races on the calendar until the seven-time champion crossed the finish line first in Barcelona, achieving his first win as a Ferrari driver.
Hamilton seems to have a better feel for the car under the new regulations in 2026. He's looking like himself again, which isn't good news for the rest of the grid.
2. Charles Leclerc's first victory in Silverstone
Dubbed as Ferrari's "favorite child", Charles Leclerc's performance lagged behind Hamilton's in most of the first eight races in 2026. Leclerc needed a statement win, and a statement he indeed made when he won the 2026 British Grand Prix.
Hamilton finished P3 in the race, culminating Ferrari's most productive weekend so far this season.
3. Better reliability than the frontrunners
Reliability is always a major concern entering the first year of a new set of regulations. But relative to the frontrunners, Ferrari is covering that area well.
So far, here's a tally of the Grand Prix DNFs for each of the four top teams:
- McLaren: 6 (Norris 3, Piastri 3)
- Red Bull: 5 (Verstappen 3, Hadjar 2)
- Mercedes: 3 (Russell 2, Antonelli 1)
- Ferrari: 2 (Leclerc 2, Hamilton 0)
The Lows
1. Trailing Mercedes in straight-line speed
Ferrari still has a clear straight-line speed deficit to Mercedes, the team they're chasing in the championship. Hamilton and Leclerc would constantly complain about losing time on the straights.
2. Leclerc's disastrous Miami-Austria stretch
Save for a fourth-place finish in Canada, Leclerc had a frustrating five-race stretch from Miami to Austria. Here's how this stretch unfolded:
- Miami: Finished 8th
- Canada: 4th
- Monaco: DNF
- Barcelona-Catalunya: DNF
- Austria: 8th
Leclerc did bounce back with a win in Silverstone and a podium in Spa. However, the two DNFs and two 8th-place finishes could've been something more, especially for the championship points.
3. Missed opportunity in Hungary
Ferrari was in control during the practices and qualifying in Hungary, even with McLaren's Lando Norris topping qualifying and ruining a Ferrari 1-2 start for Sunday's race.
But everything would unravel for the team on Sunday, with wrong strategies and penalties complicating Hamilton and Leclerc's race. Expected to dominate the weekend at the Hungaroring, neither Ferrari driver finished on the podium.
What to watch in the second half
Ferrari's power unit development
Can Ferrari bring over a significant power unit upgrade just in time for their September home race in Monza? Known as the "Temple of Speed", Monza is a power-sensitive circuit with long straights and high-speed corners.
Hamilton said that the team is "pushing hard" to improve their pace and power on the straights. If they could do that in Monza, it would go a long way to battling with Mercedes at the top and holding off McLaren's push from behind.
