Ferrari, Leo Turrini reflects: John Elkann’s approach and Fred Vasseur’s last opportunity. As Ferrari prepares for the 2026 Formula 1 season, Leo Turrini reflects on John Elkann’s leadership.

Just over a month remains before, at the end of January, Formula 1 teams will take part in the first winter testing session behind closed doors in Barcelona, before then moving to Bahrain for the double test session spread over two weeks. These tests will be crucial in preparing for the debut of the new cars born from the new technical regulations.

This build-up has seen teams working for many months on their new machines, with factory operations running at full speed, apart from a one-week shutdown over Christmas. Everything is geared towards being ready for the car launches and the winter tests which, in practical terms, now appear just around the corner, with tight deadlines to complete all remaining work.

Ferrari, like the rest of the grid, will take all the time required to finalise the assembly of the 678, with a presentation that has been confirmed by team principal Fred Vasseur: “On 23 January, in Maranello”.

Presentation and shakedown

The unveiling will be followed by an initial shakedown at Fiorano. Once again this year, the first kilometres of the new Ferrari will be completed on the team’s home circuit, in front of hopeful fans packed onto the bridge overlooking the track, providing the backdrop to the dawn of a new season. It is a season filled with hope, aimed at putting a negative past behind and restoring ambition, which is essential to send a signal of life and a renewed push towards the front.

Unlike in the past, the programme for the presentation of the new 678 will be revised. After the show in which the latest creation from Maranello is revealed, the Scuderia will take to the track, but not to complete the 200 km of a traditional filming day. Instead, Ferrari will carry out a “Demonstration Event”. This will consist of a 15 km run, equivalent to five laps of the Fiorano circuit, underlining how the first moments of the season for the Scuderia will primarily be used to check the reliability of the new project.

It is within this context, and when looking ahead to the future of the team, that Leo Turrini has shared his thoughts on his blog, “Profondo Rosso”.

Turrini speaks

“23 January at Fiorano, presentation of the new Ferrari. […] Let’s hope this Ferrari doesn’t make us cry. Since we’re at it, maybe we should even change the name: SF, in the gloomy 2025, almost stood for Sta Ferma… It has been a tradition, since the days of the Drake, that around Christmas the leaders of Maranello meet the media. The Old Man, Montezemolo and Marchionne all cared deeply about it, as it was a way of reaffirming the importance of the racing department. John Elkann has a different style, he has never made an appearance. […] After that, Vasseur […] seems like the Al Pacino of ‘Any Given Sunday’ for the tenacity with which he insists on explaining that in Formula 1 it is the details that make the difference. The team principal knows what is at stake in 2026. He has his ideas, and they deserve respect. In three years he has won six Grands Prix. Few. The regulatory revolution offers him a great opportunity. Perhaps the last one.”