F1 | Chinese GP: Ferrari adjusts plans in Shanghai, Vasseur reveals Maranello program
The Chinese Grand Prix marks a significant shift, with the first Sprint Race of the F1 season reshaping Ferrari’s plans. Frédéric Vasseur commented ahead of the Shanghai weekend, outlining the Maranello team’s strategy. After a strong performance in Melbourne, the SF-26 now faces a more complex test. The second round of the championship takes the teams to a circuit with very long straights, which will certainly challenge energy management, while also featuring high-speed corners that favor the SF-26.
In Australia, Ferrari showed the first signs of a car built for success. The SF-26 kept pace with the faster Mercedes, managing to battle with George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the opening stages of the race. Only a bold strategic call, which ultimately did not pay off, saw Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finish third and fourth respectively.
Expectations for Shanghai are now high. The W17 remains the car to beat, and it will take a small miracle to prevent the second Mercedes double finish of the season. However, the Maranello car has clear strengths. Some even consider it the fastest in corners within the current field. Ferrari’s engineers appear ready to adopt an “aggressive” approach.
Vasseur: “Collect data and focus on ourselves”
On the eve of the Shanghai weekend, Frédéric Vasseur emphasized Ferrari’s objectives: “The Chinese Grand Prix comes immediately after Melbourne and presents a different challenge in many respects. It’s a Sprint weekend, so we will have very little track time to work on the cars, which makes the preparation done at Maranello and in the simulator even more important.”
“We are only at the beginning of this new era of Formula 1: the 2026 cars are very different from those we have known in recent years, and every session allows us to learn something new about how to manage them, both in terms of setup and energy management.”
“In Australia we saw encouraging signs, but we know that the level is very high and there is still much work to do. Our goal for Shanghai is to continue progressing, collect data, stay focused on ourselves, and deliver a clean weekend across all its phases,” concluded the Maranello team principal.
As the SF-26 rolls out for its only practice session in Shanghai, the stakes could not be higher for Fred Vasseur’s squad. Mastering the trade-off between straight-line speed and the car’s natural cornering agility will be the defining factor in whether they can truly challenge Mercedes. With the Sprint format offering no room for error, Ferrari’s preparation back in Italy will be put to the ultimate test under the smoggy skies of China. The battle between the tactical brilliance of the Ferrari drivers and the raw power of the W17 promises to be the centerpiece of the weekend.
