Loïc Serra has explained why Ferrari’s SF-26 upgrades can appear less effective from the outside even when the new components deliver the performance gains expected by the team. With rival packages arriving at different moments throughout the season, the Ferrari technical director believes the true progress of an individual car cannot always be judged through its position relative to the opposition.
Serra is therefore unwilling to deliver a definitive assessment of Ferrari’s first car designed entirely under his technical supervision. Despite the SF-26’s results during the opening half of the 2026 Formula 1 campaign, he maintains that the project should only be evaluated properly once the season has ended.
Loïc Serra delays final verdict on Ferrari’s SF-26
The former Mercedes engineer joined Ferrari as a central figure in Frédéric Vasseur’s restructuring of the technical department, succeeding Enrico Cardile in its leadership. The SF-26 is the first Maranello car to have been developed fully under Serra’s supervision following the introduction of Formula 1’s new regulations.
Speaking to Autosprint, Serra indicated that reaching firm conclusions at the halfway point would be premature. Although there are elements of Ferrari’s progress that have satisfied him, he does not yet consider the overall project complete enough to receive a final rating.
His strongest positive assessment concerned the internal dynamic of the technical group. Serra explained that the team had operated effectively during a season in which every constructor had followed a different development schedule, introducing upgrades in separate phases rather than at the same time.
Why Ferrari’s SF-26 upgrades may appear less effective
That lack of synchronisation can make the impact of an update difficult to identify through results alone. Serra explained that Ferrari establishes an expected performance gain before fitting new components to the SF-26. However, if a rival introduces an equally effective package during the same period, the competitive gap between the cars may remain largely unchanged.
From the outside, that situation can create the impression that Ferrari’s development has produced little or no improvement. Internally, however, the package may still have delivered exactly the aerodynamic or performance benefit predicted before it reached the circuit.
This constantly changing reference point has become an important part of Ferrari’s wider battle in the 2026 upgrade race. A team can make a measurable step forward without gaining positions if its closest competitors progress at a similar or faster rate.
Miami and Barcelona packages met Ferrari’s targets
Ferrari has introduced two major upgrade packages during the season, with significant developments arriving in Miami and Barcelona. Serra confirmed that both sets of updates produced the gains anticipated by the technical department.
The Barcelona package was followed by a particularly strong performance from the Scuderia. By the Austrian Grand Prix, however, Ferrari’s advantage appeared less pronounced because other teams had also improved their cars in the intervening period.
Serra’s explanation suggests that the effectiveness of an upgrade should be separated from the wider movement of the competitive order. The SF-26 may become faster in absolute terms while appearing to make only limited progress against Mercedes, McLaren or another direct rival.
Serra rejects individual credit for Ferrari’s technical progress
Although Serra has been presented as one of the leading figures behind Ferrari’s renewed technical direction, he played down the idea that the SF-26 should be regarded as his car alone. He emphasised that the project was created by a large group of specialists working across the Maranello organisation.
Nevertheless, the French engineer acknowledged that he has invested more work in the SF-26 than in any other Ferrari project since joining the team. Unlike the normal process of evolving an existing car, the new technical regulations required the Scuderia to begin with a clean sheet and construct its concept from the ground up.
That distinction made the SF-26 fundamentally different from a conventional year-to-year development programme. Ferrari had to establish an entirely new technical foundation before beginning the continuous process of refining the car through upgrades.
Ferrari continues development despite SF-26 progress
Serra remains unwilling to describe himself as completely satisfied with Ferrari’s position. His view is that a Formula 1 team must continue searching for additional performance rather than becoming comfortable with its current results.
That philosophy will shape the second half of the campaign as Maranello continues working on a car already regarded as competitive in chassis and aerodynamic terms. The team’s recent performance characteristics have also been examined through a detailed technical analysis of the SF-26’s Hungary weaknesses.
Ferrari’s objective remains to reduce the gap to Mercedes, particularly in power-unit performance, and maintain its challenge for both world championships through the final race. Further progress could come from the team’s planned 2026 Monza engine upgrade, but Serra believes the complete SF-26 project should only be judged once the full season of development has concluded.
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