Ferrari will officially unveil its 2026 car on January 23, but it will be a different version from the one that will compete in Australia. Frederic Vasseur believes every team will follow a similar approach, arriving at the first tests with an immature car to focus on reliability, while continuing wind tunnel development on the configuration destined for Melbourne. The plans for the power unit, however, are different, with the Scuderia intending to run the final engine version right from Barcelona.
The Ferrari test car
As always happens when a new technical regulation is introduced, the cars experience a steep development curve, with teams finding precious tenths of a second in the wind tunnel each week. It’s not uncommon for cars to look visually different even during testing, as was the case with Mercedes in 2022, which arrived at the Barcelona tests with an early version of the W13, only to reveal the famous narrow-sidepod concept in Bahrain. Frederic Vasseur expects the same will happen in 2026: “I think so, everyone will do it. In this situation, the most important thing is to accumulate mileage, not chase performance. You need to run to check the technical choices on the car in terms of reliability, and then work on performance. For this reason, I believe everyone will arrive in Barcelona not with a spare car, but let’s say with an A version.”
The Team Principal is convinced this approach applies to all teams, speaking as if Ferrari intends to follow the same strategy. Talking about an “A version,” however, does not mean that Maranello is revising the project or that there is any awareness of taking a wrong direction. The strategy is simply to dedicate the first testing session to gathering mileage and collecting reliability data, identifying potential issues that cannot be simulated on the bench, such as battery sensitivity to vibrations. Ferrari will then have more time to work in the wind tunnel, where performance gains are achieved every day, refining the aerodynamic development of the car that will race in Melbourne.
Race-ready power unit
The same logic could have been applied to the power unit, as Audi has already stated that the engine used in testing will not be the final version for the season. Ferrari, however, has decided differently, choosing to run immediately with the engine that will race in Australia. The Scuderia opted for a different strategy, also influenced by the need to supply two customer teams in addition to the works team—unlike the four-ring manufacturer—an environment that would have led to longer production times for hypothetical updated power units.
Ferrari’s approach to the 2026 season involves a calculated split between chassis and engine development. By bringing an interim “version A” chassis to the Barcelona tests, the team can prioritize reliability while squeezing every last bit of performance out of the wind tunnel for the Melbourne spec. Conversely, the decision to run the final race-spec power unit immediately highlights Ferrari’s confidence in their engine project and their commitment to providing a stable platform for both their own drivers and their customer teams from day one.
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