Ferrari SF-26: Carlo Vanzini shares first impressions and remaining uncertainties

Vanzini, doubts and few certainties after the SF-26 presentation

On Friday morning in Maranello, the new SF-26 was finally unveiled, the Ferrari single-seater that will be driven by Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, and with which the Prancing Horse hopes to make the best possible start to this new regulatory era and return to winning ways after more than eighteen years of waiting.

The presentation of the Italian team was broadcast live on Sky Sport Formula 1 by the crew led by Carlo Vanzini, who, together with Matteo Bobbi, had the opportunity and privilege of covering the event from inside the Fiorano circuit, just a few metres from Ferrari’s garage.

At the end of the event, the Italian journalist shared his thoughts in a video published on his YouTube channel. While driving home, Vanzini revealed that he really likes this new car. Below are his words: “We had the privilege of being in the garage and seeing it in preview. I really liked the livery, even though I’m seeing a lot of criticism around because of the amount of white, similar to 1993 and 2016, which supposedly brings bad luck. My first impression, maybe because I’m a bit older than those commenting, is that it reminds me of the 312T, of world titles and of Lauda’s car.”

“I really like it, but obviously we live in an era where sponsors matter, and certain colour schemes and spaces are needed for that because they bring in millions and help the team to win.”

Vanzini then continued: “So the first reaction was about the colours, which perhaps matter less because if it looks good but doesn’t win, it’s pointless. Enzo Ferrari also said it: ‘The most beautiful car is not the prettiest one, but the fastest one.’ Still, the impact really impressed me. In the recent era, it’s one of the liveries I’ve liked the most. The 2007 and 2008 cars remain untouchable though, and not by chance they are also the last world championship-winning cars.”

For Carlo and the entire team, this event was also the first opportunity to see a car built under the new Formula 1 regulations in person. All the others had only been followed via livestream: “This was also the first time we saw a new-generation car live and, objectively, they look much smaller, even if they are not drastically so. They give the impression of being much lighter, even though only thirty kilos have been removed, from 798 to 768, with some teams already at that weight and others even underweight. Ferrari is rumoured to be overweight, but not by much.”

“The tyres are narrower as well. The wheels have changed. We spoke to the mechanics and they told us that pit stops are a bit easier because now you can get your hand in more easily. In some ways the wheel-gun operator has to adapt, and the driver has to stop precisely because fitting and tightening the wheel is a bit more difficult.”

In 2026, however, it won’t just be the cars that change, with the removal of DRS and the introduction of active aerodynamics. One of the biggest changes will concern the engine. Speaking about this, Vanzini said: “As for the sound, we’ll have to see, because we didn’t really understand it yet. You hear strange noises on lift-off, the drivers are coasting, but we only witnessed two proper push laps. What struck me most is that to complete those fifteen kilometres they had to push to get them done, but they were extremely satisfied to have completed them all without problems, even if the watchword for now is keeping a low profile, heads down and avoiding bold claims.”

“The car itself still looks quite basic in certain areas, like the sidepods and the front wing, while in other areas it’s very aggressive. This doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but a huge amount of work has been done, especially on the suspension, with the pull rod moved rearwards, McLaren and Mercedes style.”

Carlo Vanzini then concluded by saying: “To answer everyone asking us whether this will be Ferrari’s year: no. I don’t know. It could be Alpine’s year, Audi quietly making progress, or a return to Mercedes dominance, even though they also supply engines to other teams, including Williams, who won’t even go to the Barcelona tests because they haven’t passed the chassis crash tests and are now behind schedule. Right now, it’s far too early to answer.”