Ferrari launched its 2026 challenger, the SF-26, at Maranello and completed an initial shakedown the team called a meaningful milestone. Team principal Fred Vasseur warned that, with F1 entering an all-new active-aerodynamic era, the season-opener in Melbourne will be unlikely to decide the championship.

The 2026-spec changes are substantial: a chassis roughly 20 cm shorter, about 30 kg lighter, and movable front and rear wings that provide new aerodynamic control. Power-unit changes include full use of sustainable fuel and a power delivery split of roughly 50/50 between electrical and combustion sources. Vasseur said drivers will have a larger operational role managing wing settings, engine modes and overtake/boost functions.

Ferrari ran the SF-26’s shakedown in Barcelona with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc taking baseline runs; Hamilton briefly went into the gravel on his first outing as the team deliberately concealed its final design.

The car’s package features a return to push-rod suspension after 2025 ride-height problems, very compact sidepods and a hole in the rear diffuser as part of a low-drag approach.

The FIA has delayed formal approval, describing Ferrari’s concept as “aggressive” and saying it will take a closer look under the updated regulations before clearing the design to race. Regulators took extra time partly because the approvals timeline was affected by the departure of Jason Somerville in November 2025, which prompted heightened scrutiny of team proposals.

Vasseur emphasized that teams are effectively starting from scratch given the scale of the rule changes. Several squads — including Ferrari — missed the opening day of Barcelona testing and are likely to bring more basic cars to Australia. The initial focus will be on fundamentals, data collection and iterative improvements as teams develop active-aero systems and power-unit integrations. Rapid in-season evolution means early race results will be unlikely to reflect ultimate championship trajectories.

Sources