The Scuderia Ferrari is making final preparations before revealing the SF-26 livery and taking the track for the Fiorano shakedown. For the 2026 F1 season, Ferrari has decided to adopt a different approach, aiming to avoid repeating the mistakes glimpsed during last year’s winter break.
A crucial technical cycle for Ferrari
The new technical cycle represents a fundamental turning point for the team. The car, which will officially debut during the Barcelona tests, will likely determine the fate of the team seeking redemption. Over the past months, several internal changes have taken place, including the recent removal of Riccardo Adami from his role as Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer. Many positions have been reshuffled, allowing for a fresh exchange of information from engineers arriving from various teams.
A new vision for 2026
For Ferrari, 2026 will also be a critical juncture for Charles Leclerc, whose future with the team remains uncertain and who could potentially move to other F1 teams. Should the SF-26 encounter significant difficulties compared to its rivals, the situation could become complicated for the coming seasons. Closing the technical gap may not be immediate due to the regulatory revolution introduced this year.
It is clear that Ferrari wants to avoid inflating expectations as it did in the past. Carlo Vanzini reflected on this after the recent “Fire Up” of the 2026 Power Unit, highlighting the contrast with last year: “It seems like a low-profile Ferrari. This doesn’t mean they are in trouble, but the lesson has been learned. What happened last season was a collapse of ambitions compared to expectations,” he explained.
Learning from past mistakes
Carlo Vanzini was referring to the statements made by the team during the London presentation and at other occasions during the 2025 winter break. The arrival of Lewis Hamilton and the near-miss championship in 2024 had raised expectations at Maranello. Unfortunately, Ferrari had to face a reality far worse than anticipated.
The Sky Sport F1 commentator also pointed to a recent video released by Ferrari showing the start-up of the 2026 Power Unit. The difference compared to last year lies in the expressions of the drivers and the simplicity of the announcement: “I’m not saying enthusiasm is absent. It’s not missing, but even in the video, it doesn’t have the euphoria that was evident last year,” he added.
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