Ferrari Slump to Fourth After SF-25 Work Halt

Former driver Ralf Schumacher warned that Ferrari’s reported plan to pursue separate development concepts for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc would be “a disaster” and risk undermining the team. Schumacher and team principal Fred Vasseur have both pointed to a split over setup demand: Hamilton favoring rear stability versus Leclerc preferring a snappier, more responsive front end.

Ferrari halted work on last season’s SF‑25 to concentrate resources on the 2026 project. After that decision the team fell from second to fourth in the Constructors’ standings during the final eight races, scoring less than half the points of championship winners McLaren in that run-in — a drop that increases pressure to get the SF‑26’s concept right before it reaches the track.

Ferrari plans a January 23 launch in Maranello, with a Fiorano shakedown and final assembly the day before the reveal. The launch week has drawn extra scrutiny because Mercedes will reveal its car on January 22 and Red Bull has already shown its livery; there were reports Ferrari considered delaying its unveiling.

Vasseur says the team will run a basic “Spec A” configuration in the closed Barcelona test — a fundamental setup focused on mileage and reliability — and postpone performance-focused upgrades to later tests, an approach he expects some rivals to adopt. Early public on-track comparisons will come at the Bahrain tests in February, where pace and reliability will be assessed under race-like conditions.

Concerns about an alleged horsepower shortfall have intensified, with reports the deficit could leave Ferrari in danger of missing Q3 at the Australian GP. The preseason narrative now blends technical (the driver-setup split), strategic (prioritising reliability and development focus) and regulatory elements (reports of a possible protest over an alleged Mercedes engine “loophole”). The opening tests and first races will be pivotal in determining whether Ferrari can reconcile driver demands and close the gap to its rivals.