Positive signals are emerging from Maranello: Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have reportedly approved the progress made on Ferrari’s 2026 Formula 1 car. With only three races left in the current season, Ferrari’s 2025 campaign can already be considered a failure, but 2026 could bring a complete turnaround thanks to a new regulation set expected to reshape the competitive order on track. The Scuderia needs to respond strongly, and according to reports, both drivers are offering encouraging feedback from the simulator.
Ferrari’s 2025 season has unfolded far from expectations. After the initial enthusiasm surrounding Hamilton’s arrival, the reality between track and simulator quickly revealed a much more complicated situation.
Balance problems, an extremely narrow aerodynamic window and inconsistent competitiveness prevented Ferrari from establishing itself as a true contender for the championship. The result has been a season defined by frustration and the awareness that closing the gap to Red Bull and McLaren would require a far more radical shift in approach.
That major shift is expected to arrive in 2026. The upcoming technical regulations, which will revolutionize aerodynamics, power units and overall car philosophy, represent a huge opportunity for Ferrari. With the rulebook completely rewritten, all teams effectively start from scratch, and understanding these new concepts better than rivals becomes the key weapon. In Maranello, engineers have been working for months on a deeply redesigned project that must become the true turning point of the Hamilton–Leclerc era.
According to F1 experts Giuliano Duchessa and Rosario Giuliana of Autoracer, the first signs are finally encouraging. Both Ferrari drivers have tested the latest version of the SF26 in the simulator and reportedly gave surprisingly positive feedback on the developments introduced.
The sensations expressed by the two drivers appear much more optimistic than a few months ago, when Charles Leclerc openly admitted he had not yet found the right feeling with this new generation of cars. Now, the improved feedback suggests Ferrari could be far more competitive than currently expected, especially at a time when many inside the paddock consider Mercedes to be the early favourite for 2026.
