Ferrari designer admits Charles Leclerc’s ‘waste of time’ Pirelli test was only useful for ‘beautiful’ reason

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Ferrari and every other team in the paddock are now turning their full attention to next season.

McLaren look set to win the constructors’ championship with closest rivals Ferrari unlikely to be able to bridge a 299-point gap even if they suddenly deliver the greatest update package in the sport’s history.

It means the 2026 season is the focus for Fred Vasseur’s team, aside from the Monza-specific updates that Ferrari typically bring each season.

Next year sees a complete change in Formula 1’s regulations, and testing is already underway to understand how next year’s car will function.

Charles Leclerc recently took part in a Pirelli tyre test at the Hungaroring after the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Leclerc and Lando Norris were slower than Alpine reserve Paul Aron, although nothing can be read into the times from these test days as the engine modes being used, tyres were tested, and the configuration of each car was unknown.

When testing Ferrari’s 2026 car in the simulator, Leclerc has been critical of next year’s ruleset, echoing the views of other drivers in the paddock such as Lance Stroll.

Journalist Franco Nugnes has now shared what a Ferrari designer told him about Leclerc’s test in Hungary, and one aspect of him that was a complete ‘waste of time’.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Ferrari designer says 2026 F1 Pirelli test was a ‘waste of time’ aside from front wing change

Nugnes was speaking on Motorsport Italia’s YouTube channel and explained: “The test team remains in Hungary together with Charles and proposes something new for 2026.

“Well, that’s a very positive sign, I think, which suggests that perhaps all the problems this car is experiencing could somehow be resolved in next year’s car.

“And this is interesting because the FIA has allowed the teams to simulate and test a concept of an active front wing controlled by the driver with a push button, and to give Pirelli the opportunity to understand how the behaviour of the tyres will change over the course of a lap, not just over the course of a full load and full unload, right?

“The work is much more complex, and they needed some more precise information.

“I talked about it last week with a designer who told me, ‘No, it’s a waste of time, forget it. The current front wing has nothing to do with next year’s, so we’re working on movements that have no function.’

“Instead, they didn’t waste any time and decided to try it out. Beautiful. That’s positive.”

READ MORE: Who is Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur? Everything you need to know

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton pinning their hopes on the 2026 Formula 1 season

Both Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton know that they need to focus on 2026 for their next chance to challenge for a drivers’ championship.

Ferrari will be desperate for either of their drivers to win a race before the end of the season.

Leclerc looked like he could break that duck in Hungary, before a mysterious issue suddenly hampered his chances during the final stint of the race, when he sank from first to fourth.

Although Ferrari are said to have suffered a ‘complete failure’ ahead of the 2026 season, they would have learned a lot from their failings this year.

The crash Franco Colapinto had on the same day as Leclerc during testing in Hungary highlights the challenges of next year’s cars.

They have far less downforce, which is going to make high-speed corners far trickier to tackle.

The hope for Ferrari is that the additional front wing work done at the Hungaroring will tell the team whether they’re developing the car in the right direction.