Ferrari’s plans for the 2026 Formula 1 car are becoming clearer, with details emerging about the development roadmap that Maranello intends to follow and the key figures who will be responsible for guiding it. Central to this strategy are a series of suspension experiments overseen by Loic Serra, as Ferrari prepares its most important technical project of the new regulatory era.
The Scuderia has been working on the 2026 car for several months already. As Fred Vasseur has previously confirmed, development on the SF-25 was halted back in April, allowing Ferrari to redirect all resources toward the upcoming regulation cycle. The objective is clear: arrive fully prepared for 2026, leaving no aspect unchecked. As a result, the development plan for the new car, internally known as project 678, has been defined, along with the individuals tasked with executing it.
Following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Ferrari was finally able to focus one hundred percent on 2026. In recent months, numerous rumors have circulated, particularly regarding the power unit that will power the next-generation Ferrari. The engine will be a decisive factor in such a revolutionary rule change, with the main challenge centered on energy management, as power output will be split evenly between the internal combustion engine and the electric component. Some observers believe Mercedes holds an early advantage in this area, but Ferrari appears unconcerned.
Key technical decisions are being made by Loic Serra together with Diego Tondi, Fred Vasseur, and Frank Sanchez. Information flow between departments has been significantly restricted, with access limited to top-level management only. This increased secrecy is designed to shield the team from speculation and external pressure. At the same time, new details are now emerging not only about the development plan itself, but also about Ferrari’s overall technical philosophy for 2026.
Ferrari and a new approach for 2026: updates at every race
Ferrari was either unable to focus effectively on both cars in 2025, or quickly realized that nothing could truly rescue the SF-25’s performance. After the strong 2024 campaign, expectations were understandably high, and criticism followed when results failed to match ambitions. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton found themselves driving one of the least competitive Ferraris of the turbo-hybrid era.
The seven-time world champion has reportedly demanded changes in working methods and staff organization, aiming to modernize internal processes. Whether these concerns will be fully addressed remains to be seen. What is already confirmed, however, is that Serra intends to bring back the push-rod suspension layout at both the front and rear of the car for 2026.
The evolved suspension introduced on the SF-25 was originally expected to bring Ferrari back into contention near the front, even if not consistently fighting for victories. As reported by Giuliano Duchessa in Corriere della Sera, some within the team believed this solution could help identify correlation errors made during the winter. Serra, who worked on this concept for five months, reportedly used it as a test bed for ongoing mechanical experiments relevant to the 2026 car.
These studies allowed the French engineer to better understand which mistakes to avoid, paving the way for a completely new design philosophy. Abandoning development of the 2025 car inevitably led to a sharp performance decline, but Ferrari has accepted this compromise, viewing the regulation overhaul as the absolute priority.
Ferrari has placed major emphasis on the chassis, which has already passed FIA crash tests, and on overall drivability solutions. Diego Tondi, Ferrari’s Head of Aerodynamics, has defined the launch specification of the car. It will only take a few races in 2026 to determine whether the chosen direction is the correct one.
Secrecy remains paramount. Chassis data, engine information, and simulation results are accessible only to Vasseur, Serra, Tondi, and Enrico Gualtieri. The Ferrari 2026 car will follow a continuous development plan, with updates scheduled for every race weekend, under the coordination of Frank Sanchez. For Maranello, the message is clear: the future starts now, and every detail matters.
As Maranello pivots toward this unprecedented “race-by-race” upgrade philosophy, the pressure on the 678 project reaches a fever pitch. By concentrating authority within a small circle of directors and sacrificing an entire season of performance, Ferrari is making its most aggressive move of the decade. The return to a push-rod configuration and Serra’s secret mechanical experiments suggest a car designed for maximum versatility across the 2026 calendar. For the Tifosi, the hope is that this year of silence and suffering in the mid-pack will translate into a technical masterpiece capable of putting Hamilton and Leclerc back where they belong: the top step of the podium.
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