Ferrari’s history in Formula 1 has always been defined by cycles. Some have been unforgettable periods of dominance that shaped entire generations of the sport, while others have been marked by immense challenges, disappointment, and the need to rebuild from the ground up. Since the Formula 1 World Championship began in 1950, the Scuderia has experienced eras of complete supremacy, years of reconstruction, and seasons in which winning seemed almost impossible despite the enormous expectations surrounding the team from Maranello.
Yet statistics can sometimes paint an even clearer picture than emotions ever could, offering an objective perspective on how competitive Ferrari has truly been across different eras of the sport. When Ferrari’s performance is broken down by decade, one figure stands out above all others. The era that began in 2020 is, so far, the worst decade in Ferrari’s Formula 1 history in terms of race-winning percentage. It is a statistic that immediately grabs attention because it contrasts so sharply with the legendary reputation the Italian side has built over more than seven decades of Grand Prix racing.
The Scuderia has claimed just 12 victories in its first 140 Grands Prix of the decade, resulting in a modest win rate of 8.5%. That figure is even lower than Ferrari’s record during the 1980s, a period traditionally remembered as one of the team’s most difficult eras, when it still managed an 11.5% winning percentage. The comparison becomes even more striking against the 1960s, which produced a 13% success rate, the 2010s with 14.1%, and, of course, Michael Schumacher‘s extraordinary golden era, when Ferrari won almost one race out of every two. Between 2000 and 2009, the Scuderia achieved an exceptional 48.8% victory rate, one of the most dominant periods ever recorded by any Formula 1 team.
Looking at these figures side by side immediately highlights the scale of the challenge Ferrari has faced in recent years. A team that has traditionally measured success through victories and championship titles has found itself operating at a level that, statistically speaking, is unprecedented in its modern Formula 1 history.
However, this statistic must be viewed in its proper context because the decade is only halfway through. Three and a half seasons remain before the 2020-2029 cycle comes to an end, leaving plenty of time for Ferrari to improve these numbers significantly. The final percentage is therefore far from being set in stone. Even so, the current picture remains a harsh one and highlights how difficult the past several seasons have been for the Italian team.
The historical data reveals the depth of Ferrari’s struggles
Race-winning percentage is arguably the most meaningful indicator of a team’s long-term competitiveness. Unlike total victories, it removes the distortion created by the varying number of Grands Prix held in different eras of Formula 1 and provides a fair comparison across completely different generations of cars, regulations, circuits, and drivers. It allows every decade to be judged using the same benchmark, making the comparison both balanced and revealing.
From that perspective, the numbers speak for themselves. During the 1950s, Ferrari won 34.5% of all races, immediately establishing itself as one of the dominant forces in the young World Championship. In the 1970s, the Scuderia maintained an outstanding 25.6% winning rate despite facing increasingly competitive opposition. Even throughout the 1990s, despite the prolonged dominance first of Williams and later of McLaren, Ferrari still managed to win 17.2% of Grands Prix while gradually laying the foundations for the remarkable success that would follow.
By contrast, today’s 8.5% represents an unprecedented low point in the history of Formula 1’s most successful team. It is not simply another difficult period but, statistically, the least productive decade Ferrari has experienced since the championship began more than seventy years ago.
These numbers are the result of several extremely difficult seasons, beginning with the disastrous 2020 campaign and followed by years in which Ferrari often produced genuinely fast cars but struggled to convert their potential into consistent victories. Strategic mistakes, reliability concerns, technical developments that did not always deliver the expected gains, operational inconsistencies, and increasingly strong competition have all contributed to creating this scenario.
Modern Formula 1 is also considerably more competitive than it was in many previous eras. Budget caps, aerodynamic testing restrictions, and increasingly sophisticated technical regulations have compressed the field and made it much harder for any single team to dominate over extended periods. Every small mistake now carries greater consequences, while even tiny performance differences can determine the outcome of an entire race weekend.
Yet focusing only on the numbers would tell only part of the story. Statistics describe what has already happened, but they do not necessarily capture the momentum a team may be building behind the scenes.
The SF-26 could turn Ferrari’s worst decade into the beginning of a new era
This is where the real paradox emerges. While Maranello is statistically experiencing the least successful decade in its Formula 1 history, the 2026 season is telling a very different story from those of recent years. Two victories in the opening nine races are a significant statement, not only because of the results themselves but also because of the manner in which they were achieved.
Perhaps even more importantly, those victories have not appeared to be isolated successes created by unusual circumstances. Instead, they have reflected a car that is becoming progressively stronger as the season develops, suggesting that Ferrari’s current trajectory differs substantially from what supporters have become accustomed to over the last several years.
The SF-26 has developed into a car that continues to improve race after race. Following a solid but not spectacular start to the season, Ferrari’s development programme has transformed the car into one of the most competitive machines on the Formula 1 grid. Every upgrade introduced during the championship has gradually increased the car’s performance, allowing the Scuderia to reduce the gap to its main rivals and, in some situations, even dictate the pace.
The team no longer looks like a competitor waiting for opportunities to come its way through safety cars, changing weather conditions, or rivals making mistakes. Instead, Ferrari increasingly appears capable of creating its own chances by consistently delivering competitive qualifying performances, stronger race pace, and improved tyre management over long stints.
That represents a major shift in perspective. While the recent past continues to weigh heavily on the decade’s overall statistics, the present points firmly in a completely different direction.
The championship fight remains wide open, and Ferrari has demonstrated that it possesses the technical package needed to mount a genuine title challenge against Mercedes, which still deserves to be considered the favourite. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton now have a car capable of fighting regularly near the front of the field, something that has not always been possible throughout recent seasons.
At the same time, the competitive landscape remains incredibly close. Mercedes continues to set the benchmark in many areas, while McLaren, Red Bull, and the rest of the leading teams are capable of producing race-winning performances on the right weekends. This level of competition makes the Maranello team’s recent progress even more significant because every small improvement can have a substantial impact on championship results.
Yet the outlook could become even more intriguing when looking beyond the 2026 season. This year also marks the beginning of Formula 1’s new regulatory era. Historically, whenever Formula 1 introduces sweeping technical changes, entirely new competitive cycles emerge. Teams that interpret the regulations correctly often remain competitive for several years, while those that make fundamental mistakes usually require a long period of recovery.
That is precisely why the current season may prove far more important than the championship standings alone suggest. The SF-26 has already indicated that Ferrari interpreted the new regulations extremely effectively, and that understanding could provide a valuable advantage not only throughout the remainder of 2026 but also during the following seasons. Development under a stable ruleset often becomes increasingly efficient because teams can refine an already competitive concept instead of attempting to correct major design flaws.
If that proves to be the case, Ferrari could finally find itself building from a position of strength rather than constantly chasing the competition. That would represent one of the biggest changes in the team’s competitive outlook since the introduction of Formula 1’s previous regulatory cycles.
Naturally, it is still too early to speak about the beginning of another dominant era. Such conclusions would be premature, and Formula 1 has repeatedly demonstrated how quickly the competitive order can change from one season to the next. Rival teams will continue introducing upgrades, development races never truly stop, and maintaining an advantage over multiple seasons is one of the hardest achievements in modern motorsport.
However, for the first time in a long while, Ferrari appears to have built a genuinely solid technical foundation on which to shape its future. The engineering direction seems clearer, the development path appears more consistent, and the overall competitiveness of the SF-26 suggests that the Scuderia may finally have found a concept capable of evolving successfully over several years.
That is what makes this contradiction so fascinating. The 2020-2029 decade could ultimately be remembered as the least successful period in Ferrari’s Formula 1 history when measured purely by race-winning percentage. Viewed only through the lens of statistics, it currently represents the lowest point the Scuderia has ever experienced.
Yet history is rarely written halfway through a decade. There is still enough time for the Italian side to alter the narrative completely. Continued victories throughout 2026, combined with sustained competitiveness over the next three seasons, could dramatically improve those numbers and, perhaps more importantly, redefine how this entire era is remembered.
Instead of being viewed simply as Ferrari’s weakest statistical decade, the 2020s could eventually be remembered as the period during which the Scuderia finally emerged from years of frustration and laid the foundations for a sustained return to championship contention.
Statistics describe what has already happened. They preserve the past and provide an objective record of success and failure. The SF-26, however, is beginning to tell a different story altogether. It is offering Ferrari supporters something they have been waiting for over many seasons: genuine reason to believe that the future may be considerably brighter than the numbers of the recent past would ever suggest.
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