After a long five-week wait since the Japanese GP, F1 fans are finally ready for the Miami GP. The break has left plenty of room for discussions on whether the dominance on track will shift hands from Mercedes.

In the latest episode of the "Up to Speed" podcast, David Coulthard and Naomi Schiff discussed whether Ferrari and McLaren are finally ready to challenge the Silver Arrows.

Coulthard feels that the momentum is starting to shift in favor of the chasing pack. "It felt, especially McLaren in Japan, it felt like they'd taken a step forward and it wouldn't take much for them in terms of better understanding of how to use their power unit," he noted.

He also pointed to the technical moves from Italy, stating, "Ferrari, there's much been said about some of the upgrades that they have planned to bring to this race".

Overall, Coulthard sees this weekend as a turning point for the year. "So I think it's... literally a reset of, right, now we start the season. And so the answer to the question is potentially both Ferrari and McLaren could be race winners."

Naomi Schiff shared a more specific outlook, leaning toward one team in particular. "If I had to say between McLaren and Ferrari...I would honestly say, McLaren." She highlighted the reliability of the team's data, adding, "We've also historically seen so many times that McLaren are one of the teams that do have great correlation between their simulators and on track".

With Ferrari, there is a horsepower deficit to overcome. The SF26 had a roughly 20 hp deficit to the Mercedes power units, which qualified them for ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities). This means the FIA will grant the Scuderia the opportunity to upgrade its engine this season to level up.

McLaren prepares a major reset for the Miami GP

McLaren has steadily gained ground on Ferrari since the season began, showing more progress in mastering the new 2026 regulations. While the season is still young, Oscar Piastri's podium in Japan showed McLaren hasn't lost much ground.

Team Principal Andrea Stella previously revealed that the early rounds were just a starting point to test their basic engine and aerodynamics. The real push begins now. Coming into the Miami GP, Stella said:

"There was always the idea to deliver a completely new car, especially from an aerodynamic upgrades point of view, for the North American races. Across Miami and Canada, we will see an entirely new MCL40."

While the five-week break has allowed every team on the grid to bring fresh parts to Florida, McLaren has a reputation for delivering upgrades that completely change their season. With a heavily revised car hitting the track this weekend, the battle at the front is about to get much more interesting.

Read more F1 news at Motor Culture!

Written by

Sanskriti Pastor

Edited by

Yask Kotak