Ferrari, the 678 on track at Fiorano on 23 January: but there will be no filming day
Just over a month remains before the eleven Formula 1 teams head to Barcelona at the end of January for the first winter tests, held behind closed doors. The paddock will then move to Bahrain for a double testing session spread across two weeks, designed to allow teams to prepare as effectively as possible for the debut of the new cars born under the technical regulations introduced by the Circus.
This build-up has seen teams working for many months on their new single-seaters. Factory activity has continued at an intense pace, with operations running across multiple shifts throughout the day, interrupted only by a single week-long shutdown from Christmas Eve to 1 January. All of this is aimed at ensuring readiness for car launches and winter testing, which now feel closer than ever, leaving very tight timelines to complete every phase of development.
Launch scheduled for 23 January
Ferrari, like all the other teams, will take as much time as possible to finalise the preparation of the new 678. The official presentation has been confirmed, as revealed by team principal Fred Vasseur during the traditional Ferrari Christmas lunch: “On 23 January, in Maranello.”
The unveiling will be followed by an initial shakedown at Fiorano. Once again, the first kilometres of the new Ferrari will be completed on home soil, in front of the hopeful crowd traditionally gathered on the Fiorano bridge. The scene will mark the dawn of a new season, filled with the desire to put a difficult past behind and with ambitions that are almost inevitable, as Ferrari looks to send a clear signal and close the gap to the front.
Different from last year
However, ahead of the event, it is important to pay close attention to the wording, because unlike in previous seasons, the programme for the presentation of the new 678— Fred Vasseur did not want to reveal the car’s official name—will be slightly revised.
After the show in which the latest creation from Maranello will be revealed to the world, the Scuderia will take to the track, but not to complete the traditional 200 kilometres of a filming day. That format, usually useful both for commercial filming and for collecting data, will not be part of Ferrari’s plans on this occasion.
For 2026, the Italian team appears to have opted instead for a Demonstration Event. This allows for a total of just 15 kilometres, potentially equating to a maximum of five laps of the Fiorano circuit. It is a significant change compared to recent years and reflects a more cautious approach to the very first outing of the new car.
This adjustment underlines how the opening phase of the season and the first tests for Ferrari will be focused solely on verifying the reliability of the project. There will be no attempt to chase performance at this stage, which, as admitted in recent weeks, will only become a priority towards the end of the Bahrain test programme.
The early running of the 678 will therefore serve as a controlled and carefully managed introduction, setting the foundations for more meaningful evaluations once Ferrari reaches Bahrain, where the true work of understanding and unlocking the car’s potential will begin.
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