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Ferrari have already had to address concerning rumours about their 2026 Formula 1 car. They’re due to launch the SF-26 on 23 January.
One report from Italy claimed that Ferrari may have to delay their launch, with team principal Fred Vasseur apparently going ‘berserk’ when he was told.
However, Motorsport.it have subsequently assured the Tifosi that the team are on schedule. They’re planning to hold a shakedown at Fiorano before the first pre-season test in Barcelona.
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Ferrari didn’t win a race last year but the new regulations offer them an opportunity to become contenders again. It’s Mercedes who are widely seen as the favourites, though.
Ferrari may need months to replicate Mercedes’ 2026 fuel trick
Perhaps the biggest story of the winter so far concerns fuel compression ratios. Mercedes and Red Bull have allegedly found a loophole in the 2026 rules.
By exceeding the permitted ratio when out on track, they will have access to more horsepower. But when the FIA tests the car in parc ferme, it will be in a compliant state.
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Early estimates suggest this could be worth up to four-tenths of a second per lap, a golden advantage for Mercedes, Red Bull and their customers.
Were it straightforward, Ferrari, Honda and Audi would simply implement the same technology. But according to Auto Motor und Sport, it ‘cannot be implemented quickly’.
Ferrari engineers will need months to master the ‘technically complex’ method, by which point the gap to Mercedes, McLaren and co. may already be too large.
Ferrari’s plan to put the FIA under intense pressure
It’s no surprise, then, that the three other manufacturers are ‘working intensively’ to obtain a definitive ruling from the FIA. Up to this point, the sport’s governing body has shown no sign of intervening, but a crucial meeting is scheduled for Barcelona.
In tandem with the regulatory route, one suspects that Ferrari are trying to exploit the loophole themselves – such is the way in Formula 1.
Mercedes’ rivals want the rules changed mid-season, potentially after the summer break, rather than waiting until next winter.
In an effort to force that change through, Ferrari could protest the results of the Australian GP, the race that kicks off the 2026 season.
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