Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur is choosing not to expose himself too much at this stage of the season. Instead, he prefers to remain in the shadows, allowing the team to work with calm and focus as Formula 1 heads toward the 2026 season under a brand-new technical regulation. The correlation between track data and simulation has been described as “good.”
Working quietly, under the radar, as much as Formula 1 and a new set of regulations allow. Ferrari is preparing for the 2026 F1 season without ever — or almost never — being labeled as the outright favorite. Quick, certainly. Among the frontrunners, without a doubt. But never clearly ahead of everyone else. And right now, that is something Fred Vasseur appreciates.
The Ferrari team principal wants to avoid the hype and everything that comes with it. The lessons of 2025 are still fresh in Maranello, and being able to operate away from the spotlight can only benefit the Scuderia.
“The very positive thing is that no one is talking about us. I like this situation. You can already focus on yourself,” the French manager said at the end of the first Bahrain pre-season test. “Nobody knows anything yet. Nobody knows the strength of Mercedes. Nobody knows whether you are carrying 20 kilos, 40 kilos, or 60 kilos. And that is much more than the difference between the cars. For this reason, the best way to be is to stay quiet and focus on yourself.”
“The first objective when you have a new car like this – completely different from last year – is to accumulate mileage. Last year we arrived with a reference from the previous car. We could make comparisons. This year we are starting from zero.”
So far, the SF-26 has shown reassuring reliability, allowing the team to collect a vast amount of data — something that can only help with development moving forward.
“The most important thing in this situation is to accumulate mileage, complete as many laps as possible, and gather data. To check whether there is good correlation between the factory, the wind tunnel, and what we see on track. For that, you need reliability. Because if you stay in the garage, that’s not the best way to collect data. So far, it has gone quite well for us. We completed around 4,500 kilometers in six days. That’s good, more than expected, and it’s positive. But we must not confuse doing a good job on this front with pure performance. That’s another story.”
Energy deployment and recovery through the 350 kW MGU-K — nearly 500 horsepower — will be one of the key themes of the new season. But it will not be the only one. Tire management and preparation, ensuring the compounds operate within the correct window, will remain central every race weekend.
“It’s important to remember that last year, between a Sprint qualifying and a normal qualifying session, we sometimes saw variations of six or seven tenths with cars we had known for three or four years, simply based on the out-lap.
This will remain: we will still have differences between two push laps, between different tire preparation approaches and compounds.”
“We must not forget what we have done in the past and focus only on energy management. Of course, it is important, it is crucial for lap time, but all the F1 parameters and race fundamentals are still there and will have the same importance. It would be a mistake to forget that. Being one of the youngest in the team, I try to bring this concept to the table and remind everyone that we must not forget the basics. Just because the regulation is new doesn’t mean the new parameters are the only ones. Aerodynamics will be fundamental, tires will be fundamental, driving will be fundamental, pit stop strategies will be fundamental. We must keep that in mind.”
Yesterday evening, comments from Max Verstappen caused a stir after he described the new Formula 1 as “Formula E on steroids.” Fred Vasseur believes such reactions are typical at the beginning of a new regulatory cycle. Once the drivers are in the cockpit with their visors down, their only focus will be going as fast as possible and beating their rivals.
“I think we heard the same comments in 2022, and the 2022–2025 period was probably one of the best for F1. I understand the drivers’ feeling: when you arrive in Bahrain and you are a bit slower compared to the previous year, the first reaction is that you want to drive something very fast. But after half a session, or one full session, their focus will only be on being faster than the others. It won’t be about doing a 1:31 or a 1:35, but about knowing what time the others are doing. It’s in their DNA and in the DNA of every team. I’m sure it won’t be any different.”
As for the SF-26 itself, the Ferrari team principal did not want to make bold predictions. The one aspect he was keen to underline, however, is that the correlation between simulation tools and track data already appears solid.
“It’s not that we had bad correlation last year, it’s that we didn’t develop the car.
So far the correlation is good, but we still have a huge amount to understand. The best way to absorb what we are collecting is to keep the car on track, complete as many kilometers as possible, and work well between sessions. But up to now, the correlation is good.”
Frédéric Vasseur’s methodical and grounded perspective suggests a Ferrari team that is prioritizing technical substance over pre-season hype. By clocking 4,500km and verifying their simulation data early on, the Scuderia has secured the foundational stability needed to tackle the complexities of the 2026 regulations, all while the rest of the paddock’s gaze remains fixed on their rivals.
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