Ferrari’s Head of Strategy, Ravin Jain, used the April break to reflect on the opening phase of the season after the first three races, outlining what he believes will be the decisive factor in the championship fight. Contrary to what many might assume, the role of a Head of Strategy is not limited only to making pit wall decisions during Grands Prix.
The position of Head of Strategy within a team — or any organisation — also involves defining long-term development plans and setting the objectives the team aims to achieve over the season.
A competitive and unpredictable championship according to Ravin Jain: “Three teams on the podium in Japan”
With that in mind, Ravin Jain and Ferrari released a video outlining Maranello’s intentions and the work planned for the coming months. Before doing so, he also took the opportunity to provide a brief overview of the season so far:
“The season began with one of the biggest regulatory changes in Formula 1 history. Completely new regulations covering both chassis and power unit. Everyone in the factory worked extremely hard to build a brand-new car compliant with these rules. A big thank you goes to our logistics team for enabling the race crew to tackle the opening rounds while dealing with the current geopolitical situation around the world.”
“On track,” he continued, “we have seen excellent teamwork, from the drivers to the engineers, from the pit wall to the mechanics, who executed some fantastic pit stops. All that hard work, both at the track and back at the factory, resulted in three podiums in the first three events — in Melbourne, Shanghai and Suzuka. In Japan, however, we saw three different teams on the podium, which highlights just how tight the competition in Formula 1 is right now.”
“We know that development will determine the outcome of this season. That is where performance comes from. Everyone in Maranello is working incredibly hard this April to find as much performance as possible, and our rivals are doing exactly the same. Thank you very much for your support. We hope to continue receiving it throughout the rest of 2026, and we look forward to seeing you back on the grandstands starting with the Miami Grand Prix in May,” Ravin Jain concluded, underlining the importance of development this year.
Ravin Jain’s assessment confirms that 2026 is becoming a game of inches. While Ferrari has been the model of consistency with three podiums in three races, the fact that three different teams stood on the rostrum in Japan shows that the pecking order is far from set. The “April development race” Jain mentions is essentially a second pre-season; whichever team finds the most efficient way to deploy their 2026 energy systems will likely hold the upper hand come Miami.
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