The new Ferrari F1 car
Ferrari will reveal its 2026 car on January 23. Similar to last year, the launch will be accompanied by digital renders of the new car, which, while never 100% accurate, will preview its shape beyond simply showing the livery. It won’t be a large-scale physical event, with the media following remotely for the usual interviews. The name of the new Ferrari will remain a secret for now. Fred Vasseur commented: “This will be part of the launch, you’ll find out a little later. I don’t want to reveal everything in advance.”
Track debut
The new car will be unveiled just days before the collective pre-season test session in Barcelona, which will be strictly closed doors. However, it is possible that the successor to the SF-25 could make its first on-track appearance at Ferrari’s home circuit, as in recent years. When asked about the presentation date and the possibility of a traditional shakedown, Fred Vasseur simply confirmed the appointment for January 23 at Fiorano, without specifying whether the car will get an initial run on track. The Team Principal emphasized the importance of driving to identify potential reliability issues not detected on the bench: “You remember 10 or 15 years ago, when there was an enormous retirement rate in the early races. That means our first priority must be to accumulate mileage. […] In Barcelona, the priority will be mileage, studying reliability, understanding where to improve, and knowing what to do to react. If something is discovered in Bahrain, there would be no way to intervene in time for Australia. The first objective, not of the promotional day but of the Barcelona tests, will undoubtedly be accumulating mileage rather than working on performance.”
Shakedown considerations
A private shakedown would allow Ferrari to break in the new car and especially the new power unit, particularly from an operational standpoint, so that the team arrives in Barcelona ready to run consistently. It is no coincidence that Audi and Alpine will hold their respective filming days in Catalonia on January 9 and 11, before their official car launches. However, if Ferrari decides to follow this approach at Fiorano, it risks any technical issues becoming public knowledge.
The countdown to testing intensifies, with reliability the watchword. Ferrari aims to hit the ground running in Barcelona, turning winter development into on-track gains when the season opens in Australia.
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