Ferrari still has a realistic opportunity to remain in the 2026 Formula 1 title fight, according to former Scuderia engineer Luigi Mazzola, who believes reliability and the next phase of car development could prove decisive. With Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull all involved at the front, Mazzola expects the championship picture to remain fluid as teams continue extracting performance from their available resources.
The former Ferrari engineer sees the next two or three months as particularly important. In an interview with F1inGenerale.com, Mazzola argued that teams fighting for the championship will attempt to maximise what is possible within the budget cap, with Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren expected to continue introducing developments into September or October.
Why Mazzola believes Ferrari remains in the 2026 F1 title fight
Mazzola does not consider the championship to have narrowed to a single clear favourite. Although all four leading teams have encountered difficulties at different stages of the season, he believes each can still influence how the fight develops during the remaining races.
McLaren, in his assessment, has become stronger after beginning the campaign from a less competitive position, something Andrea Stella had acknowledged. Red Bull could also remain a factor. The continuing development battle is therefore likely to matter heavily, particularly as McLaren continues its own upgrade push against the championship leaders.
Ferrari has another factor working in its favour: reliability. Mazzola highlighted the Scuderia’s record in that area compared with the early retirements suffered by Mercedes and McLaren, arguing that avoiding costly failures could help Maranello stay involved if it continues pushing until the end of the campaign.
Technical development could decide Ferrari’s championship chances
The development race is central to Mazzola’s outlook. Ferrari has produced a competitive SF-26, but there is still performance to recover if the team is to consistently challenge for the biggest results. That makes every useful step increasingly important as the championship moves towards its decisive phase.
The technical competition is not restricted to aerodynamics. Ferrari’s position in the current power unit landscape has also been highlighted by the FIA’s latest ADUO rankings, while the Maranello team continues working to extract more from its overall package.
That effort includes the planned ADUO-2 step for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. For readers following the wider evolution of the car, the latest developments are also covered in ScuderiaFans’ Ferrari technical analysis.
Mazzola would not call Ferrari’s season a failure without the title
Mazzola also addressed how Ferrari’s season should be judged if the championship ultimately goes elsewhere, including the possibility of the Scuderia finishing behind Mercedes. He believes success or failure should not be assessed solely through the final championship position.
In his view, a team has reason for satisfaction when it succeeds in building and developing a car capable of winning races. Mazzola considers this year’s Ferrari competitive, estimating that it may still be around two or three tenths short in performance while nevertheless remaining close enough to compete and having already won a couple of races.
For that reason, he would distinguish between failing to achieve the ultimate objective and enduring a genuinely disastrous campaign. Missing the championship would mean Ferrari had fallen short of its target, but Mazzola would not place such an outcome in the same category as a season spent languishing around sixth or tenth position.
Frédéric Vasseur deserves more time, Mazzola argues
The former Ferrari engineer also believes continuity is important at Maranello. Rather than responding to an unsuccessful title campaign by dismantling the existing structure, he thinks team principal Frédéric Vasseur should be given additional time to demonstrate what the group can achieve.
Mazzola’s preferred approach would be to introduce fresh ideas while identifying and correcting the areas that remain weak. He does not believe Ferrari should automatically respond by changing its technical director, replacing its team principal or breaking up the organisation that has produced the current car.
The message is therefore one of persistence rather than upheaval. Ferrari has built a package capable of winning races and, in Mazzola’s assessment, remains close enough to stay involved in a championship whose outcome could depend heavily on reliability and development over the coming months. The challenge for Vasseur’s team is to keep improving the SF-26 and maintain that pressure all the way to the final stages of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
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