The upcoming 2026 season represents both a blank canvas and a high-stakes opportunity for Ferrari. Experts are already calling it the biggest technical revolution in modern Formula 1, with major changes expected both in power units and aerodynamics. At Ferrari’s Christmas lunch, the spotlight was on Loïc Serra and Enrico Gualtieri, responsible respectively for chassis and power unit development. Both were approached for off-the-record insights into the numerous aspects of the new regulations.
Assembling performance
Compared to the 2024 Christmas lunch, the technical director appeared noticeably more at ease and forthcoming, without betraying the immense pressure that comes with managing one of Maranello’s most complex projects. Frederic Vasseur remarked that the 2026 car will be Serra’s first, but Serra credits the entire team for the project. The car that appears during testing will be a “version A,” with significant evolution expected in the months that follow before the official championship begins.
Development will continue throughout the season to avoid falling behind in a championship where the learning curve is extremely steep. In the first half of the season, Ferrari will have around 15% more wind tunnel hours compared to McLaren. However, the real bottleneck will be the budget cap. The challenge will be carefully planning updates, balancing speed and effectiveness of developments, and considering shipping costs, particularly for races outside Europe.
According to Loic Serra, the toughest task in 2026 will be “assembling performance,” meaning the team must bring all elements together to create a balanced car, without necessarily excelling in a single area. Drivability will also be critical, an area where Loic Serra worked closely with both drivers in 2025, focusing on corner balance. Loic Serra is highly regarded for his ability to interpret driver feedback and translate it into engineering objectives, a skill honed during his time at Michelin. The hope is that Lewis Hamilton will benefit from this approach, having repeatedly expressed his desire to contribute his own DNA to the 2026 project.
Beyond raw power
Even greater attention was on Enrico Gualtieri, who faced a barrage of questions after years in which the freezing of previous power units had kept him largely out of the media spotlight. Interest is particularly high for a completely new project, even though the thermal engine retains the 1.6-litre V6 architecture. While the external layout remains familiar, the internal parameters have changed significantly, forcing a re-evaluation of combustion strategies. Another key topic is the removal of the MGU-H, which previously controlled turbo speed and effectively decoupled it from the engine. Ferrari had to redesign the torque curve to avoid losing exit power in corners. Additionally, new fuels will be used, with the challenge of meeting emissions limits across the entire production cycle.
Power unit development will continue on track, especially in the electrical domain. The priority during initial tests will be accumulating mileage and checking for reliability issues that cannot be fully replicated on the test bench, such as battery sensitivity to vibrations. Ferrari will benefit from supplying two customer teams, which will generate a large volume of data.
Energy management is the recurring theme in Enrico Gualtieri’s discussions, partly handled by the control unit but heavily influenced by driving strategy. Drivers will play a key role, adapting their style to compensate for turbo lag at low speeds. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will work from the first tests with the 2026-spec power unit, providing early indications of the engine’s performance and reliability for the rest of the season.
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