F1 | Ferrari reset for 2026 as SF-26 challenge extends beyond pure performance. Fred Vasseur explains why Ferrari’s SF-26 represents a total reset under the 2026 regulations.

Vasseur explains what will really change with the new regulations: not just performance, but a total reset for both Ferrari drivers as well.

The unveiling of the SF-26 has officially marked the beginning of a new era for Ferrari, but behind the first images and the initial kilometres lies a challenge far deeper than it might appear at first glance. The focus is not only on outright performance, nor exclusively on drivability: the true proving ground of the 2026 project will be the overall integration between the car, its systems and the drivers.

In recent years, Ferrari have alternated phases of competitiveness with more complex periods, often linked precisely to the management of drivability. From 2023 to 2025, several cars showed limitations in delivering consistent and predictable behaviour on track, an aspect that directly affected overall performance across race weekends.

Asked about the main priority of the new car, Fred Vasseur made it clear that there is no strict choice between performance and drivability. “The key to performance will be good integration between the chassis and the systems,” explained the team principal, stressing how every area of the car will need to operate in perfect synergy.

The most significant point, however, concerns the role of the drivers. Vasseur admitted that 2026 will represent a true breaking point: “For the drivers it will be a complete reset. They will have to change their approach to the weekend, to car development and even to their driving style.” A transformation that also involves the team’s work, which will be required to provide the right tools to allow the drivers to express themselves at their best.

According to the Frenchman, this discovery phase is shared across the entire grid, but that is precisely what opens up interesting scenarios. “We are all starting from zero and discovering new challenges. It’s a positive feeling, it’s part of our DNA to face situations like this.”

The message is clear: the SF-26 has not been conceived to solve a single problem, but to build a technical and human ecosystem capable of growing over time. The real challenge, at least for now, remains hidden beneath the surface.