Fred Vasseur ‘went berserk’ when he was told about a ‘disturbing’ problem with Ferrari’s 2026 car.
Delaying the launch would be a PR nightmare for the Scuderia, but more importantly, it would confirm that they are at a competitive disadvantage heading into the new season.
13 January 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Italian outlet Top Speed relays rumours that the Ferrari SF-26 is ‘seriously behind schedule’. There are concerns that it won’t be ready for the 23 January launch, a ‘disturbing’ development. When this was communicated to Vasseur, he ‘went berserk’. Some within the team are even worried about making it to the Barcelona test on 26 January, but Ferrari are still expected to be there.

Delaying the launch would be a PR nightmare for the Scuderia, but more importantly, it would confirm that they are at a competitive disadvantage heading into the new season. It sounds as if it will be tight. Is this the reason Ferrari’s 2026 car build has been delayed? One journalist who has written a book about the team says nobody ever leaves Ferrari. But perhaps that is starting to change.

Technical director Enrico Cardile was poached by Aston Martin ahead of the 2025 season, while engine bosses Wolf Zimmermann and Lars Schmidt moved to Audi last year. Some at Ferrari blamed Cardile for the SF-25’s problems. Perhaps the untimely exits of Zimmermann and Schmidt are taking their toll too.

‘Went berserk’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fre...aris-2026-car/


Only one F1 team have convinced their staff that they should ‘never leave’
6 January 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

F1 journalist Nate Saunders explained on Nailing The Apex last year, the Cardile case is an exception. ‘90%’ of Ferrari’s staff have been there for at least a decade. For the most part, staff ‘never leave’ Maranello. Ferrari are the oldest, most successful and most prestigious F1 team on the grid. “When people work at Ferrari, when they get a job there, whether it’s at 21, 28, 31, 35, once they join Ferrari, unlike any other team in Formula 1, they never leave,” Saunders, who has written a book about the Italian marque, said.

Ferrari already have a scapegoat if the 2026 season is a failure. Ferrari privately blamed Cardile for the problems with their 2025 car. He formulated the concept but left before the design process was complete. A year later, engine chief Wolf Zimmermann left Ferrari to join Audi, along with his assistant, Lars Schmidt.

While he has been replaced, one can see how his untimely exit may have destabilised 2026 development. Ferrari fans will have to wait until the season gets underway to see if it has a perceptible impact. There’s a school of thought that engines will be more significant than aerodynamics in determining the pecking order.

‘Ferrari already have a scapegoat’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/features...d-never-leave/


F1: Vasseur outlines Ferrari’s 2026 development strategy
January 10, 2026
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

The noise around Ferrari can be particularly noticeable in pre-season, when speculation about development for the upcoming season often runs wild. Ferrari will keep their cards close to their chest.

The Ferrari team principal insists that even when the Championship commences, it would be unwise to draw conclusions: “Next year it won’t be about the first picture of the season,” he told Autosport.

“It won’t be all about the classification of Australia. It will be a lot about the capacity for quick development. The season won’t be over in Australia for sure, it doesn’t matter if we are P1 or P10 – but it will be a long way until the end, it will be a long way for everybody.”

“Next year it won’t be about the first picture of the season”;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...ment-strategy/


Ferrari already plan to throw away two parts on Lewis Hamilton’s 2026 F1 car before the first race
13 January 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Ferrari will also unveil the livery for the SF-26 that Hamilton and Leclerc will race in 2026 on January 23, with no team expected to reveal any technical details before their car goes on a track. Yet Ferrari also plan to use sidepods in Bahrain that they will not then use in Australia. That is according to FunoAnalisiTecnica, which reports that Ferrari intend to throw away the sidepod designs that they use in Bahrain come the first race of the 2026 season in Australia. Ferrari already have two specifications of sidepod concepts ready for the two Bahrain tests.

The Scuderia intend to use a ‘basic’ aerodynamic package in Barcelona, as they feel it will be more beneficial to record the most miles possible. Ferrari have also designed a sidepod with a ‘more generous’ entry section to be used in Bahrain, but they do not plan to race the part. Ferrari foresee the pre-season tests posing a ‘daunting challenge’, as they must correlate the data that their CFD simulations and wind tunnel have generated prior to the first round. The Maranello squad have also encountered regular issues correlating their data in recent years.

‘Throw away the sidepod designs’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...he-first-race/


Lewis Hamilton handed unwanted verdict on eighth F1 drivers' title chances
Lewis Hamilton continues to dream of an eighth F1 drivers' title, but the majority of fans believe it is not on the cards.
11 January 2026
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

A large portion of Formula 1 fans do not believe Lewis Hamilton will ever claim an unprecedented eighth drivers' title and will retire as a seven-time champion. According to a recent RacingNews365 poll, 57.1% believe the Ferrari driver will retire with his current tally of seven titles.

Hamilton failed to secure a single podium finish in a grand prix, marking the first podium-less season of his 22-year career. His 86-point deficit to Leclerc highlighted significant adaptation issues during his transition from Mercedes, where he spent 12 seasons. However, the substantial minority backing Hamilton reflects optimism surrounding the 2026 regulatory overhaul.

‘Unwanted verdict’;

https://racingnews365.com/lewis-hami...-title-chances


Ferrari are already ‘freezing’ development of one part on their 2026 F1 car before testing
13 January 2026
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Ferrari ‘freezing’ development of mobile wing system for the 2026 Formula 1 season. A report from Formula Uno Analisi Tecnica has shared more details about Ferrari’s plans for pre-season testing. The Scuderia have different plans for each stage of testing, with the three days they get in Barcelona dedicated to ‘identifying and resolving any systemic anomalies or bugs’ with their electronics system.

Ferrari’s new power unit will need calibration to avoid turbo lag created by the new hybrid engine. On top of this, Ferrari want to understand the energy regeneration better that comes from the brakes, and this calibration will be vital as the season goes on. The more mileage Ferrari can complete, the better, and it will also help them understand their aerodynamic package better, with Vasseur’s team expected to bring several different variations in order to find the car’s optimum balance.

Ferrari are also said to be ‘freezing’ the mobile wing system that debuted at the post-season test in Abu Dhabi last year. It will be used for the initial stages of the season due to the fact that Ferrari don’t want to repeat the crash tests already completed.

‘Ferrari are already ‘freezing’ development’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...efore-testing/