Stella Claims Ferrari Now Has The Fastest Chassis In F1 Following Barcelona Upgrade Blitz

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has declared that Ferrari currently possesses the best chassis in Formula 1 following the Scuderia’s major upgrade package in Barcelona.
Stella pointed to Lewis Hamilton’s maiden victory for Ferrari at the Barcelona Grand Prix as providing compelling evidence of the SF-26’s newfound strength through the corners.
Ferrari arrived in Spain with the most significant upgrade package on the grid, featuring a revised front wing, nose assembly, a major floor redesign, diffuser changes, and updated sidepod bodywork.
The upgrades were designed to generate more downforce while simultaneously improving aerodynamic efficiency and overall car balance throughout the lap.
Hamilton qualified second on Saturday, his first front-row start as a Ferrari driver, before converting that into a race victory over George Russell’s Mercedes on Sunday.
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur suggested Hamilton had sufficient pace to beat the Mercedes drivers regardless of the Virtual Safety Car intervention that aided his final pitstop strategy.
“I think this race gives us very clear indications,” Stella said after the race. “I think these indications, in a way, are consistent with what we knew already. I think these indications are that Ferrari, at the moment, is the car with the best chassis.”
Stella highlighted Ferrari’s particular strength through medium-speed corners, noting that the SF-26 is “not necessarily the fastest in the straights” but clearly dominant through the technical sections.
McLaren’s Lando Norris finished third in Barcelona, though that result was partly aided by Kimi Antonelli’s retirement, with the Briton spending much of the race chasing the two Mercedes cars ahead.
Stella identified clear weaknesses in McLaren’s current package, stating: “We are competitive in the high-speed corners, but overall we struggle with grip in medium-speed and low-speed.”
The McLaren boss outlined a straightforward development agenda, emphasising the need to add aerodynamic load and improve the team’s tyre exploitation across both qualifying and race conditions.
“We need to add aerodynamic performance, we need to add solutions for better tyre exploitation,” Stella said, underlining the work still required to close the gap to Ferrari and Mercedes.
Despite acknowledging Ferrari’s chassis superiority, Stella maintained that Mercedes still holds the strongest overall package when both the chassis and power unit are considered together.
“Probably Mercedes over a single lap the best car overall when the chassis and the power unit are both considered,” Stella admitted, recognising the Silver Arrows’ engine advantage remains a significant factor.
Looking ahead to the Austrian Grand Prix, Stella predicted Ferrari would remain the fastest car through the corners, while stressing that McLaren’s focus would remain firmly on its own internal development trajectory.
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