Ferrari has no intention of abandoning development of the SF-26 despite Mercedes strengthening its position in both 2026 Formula 1 championships. Fred Vasseur has explained that the situation is fundamentally different from a year ago because much of the work being carried out on the current car can also contribute directly to Ferrari’s 2027 project.
The Ferrari team principal was asked whether Maranello should stop investing resources in the SF-26 and move its attention completely towards next season. Vasseur rejected that approach, arguing that current development is not necessarily work that will be discarded once the 2026 campaign ends.
Ferrari sees direct link between SF-26 and 2027 development
Vasseur explained that Ferrari is not facing the same development choice it had twelve months earlier. The key difference, according to the French manager, is that elements of the work being completed now may transfer directly into the next Formula 1 project.
That distinction gives Ferrari greater freedom to continue improving the current package while simultaneously building knowledge for 2027. Recent work on the SF-26 has already covered several areas of the car, with Maranello continuing its SF-26 development programme through suspension and aerodynamic changes.
Vasseur indicated that Ferrari will therefore continue working through the coming weeks rather than drawing an early line under the 2026 car. However, the balance of that work may change, with less emphasis potentially placed on aerodynamics and greater attention directed towards other development areas.
Fred Vasseur says around 80% of current work can carry into 2027
The most significant detail in Vasseur’s explanation concerned how much of Ferrari’s present development effort could remain useful next season. The team principal estimated that approximately 80% of the development currently being undertaken would also be applied to the 2027 project.
That figure changes the calculation behind continuing to update the SF-26. Rather than viewing every improvement as a short-term investment solely aimed at the remaining 2026 races, Ferrari believes much of the work can provide solutions, understanding and data that remain relevant beyond the end of the current championship.
The approach also helps explain why the Scuderia is reluctant to make a complete break between its present and future programmes. Ferrari can continue searching for performance from the SF-26 while using that same development process as part of the foundation for its next car. The broader evolution of the package can be followed through ScuderiaFans’ Ferrari technical analysis.
Ferrari refuses to sacrifice either 2026 or its 2027 project
The strategy comes at an important point in Ferrari’s season. Mercedes has established an advantage and holds a favourable position in both championships, increasing the temptation to prioritise the future. At the same time, Maranello still has races remaining in which it wants to improve the SF-26 and fight for stronger results.
Questions over that balance have become more prominent after recent setbacks, particularly with Ferrari heading towards another demanding phase of the calendar. The team’s difficult outlook has already raised debate over whether continued SF-26 development remains worthwhile as attention turns towards 2027.
Vasseur’s position is that the two objectives do not have to be treated as mutually exclusive. Ferrari has not closed the book on the 2026 season, but neither does it intend to compromise next year’s car merely to pursue short-term gains.
By ensuring that a substantial proportion of current development can feed into the next project, Maranello believes the remaining work on the SF-26 can serve two purposes at once: improving the car that Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are racing now while creating a stronger technical base for 2027.
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