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The upcoming Formula 1 campaign is a pivotal year for Ferrari and their star-studded driver line-up of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, and they have already taken some risks in the development of their SF-26.
Following a winless season in 2025 after a serious challenge for the constructors’ title in the year prior, Ferrari are under immense pressure to provide both John Elkann and the tifosi with something to celebrate in the upcoming term.
Team principal Fred Vasseur has been told that his future depends on Ferrari’s success this year, with anything short of a championship marking the end of his tenure at the Italian racing outfit.
The same goes for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who are both desperate to find themselves back at the front of the pack and fighting for race wins.
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According to a report by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ferrari have accepted the many demands that Hamilton has ‘pushed’ for in development of the SF-26 following the Briton’s disappointing maiden campaign in red last season.
The report states that Ferrari have involved Hamilton in several areas of development, including their new power unit, suspension, brake distribution, and even paddle-positioning on the Scuderia’s steering wheel.
While this will mean that the SF-26 will be more catered to Hamilton’s driving style, it is unclear how it will affect his counterpart, Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc has considered an exit from Ferrari following years of the iconic Italian outfit falling short, and so another year of frustration from the Monegasque could prove to be the nail in the coffin for him.
The report states that Ferrari are hopeful that the changes they have made for Hamilton will also ‘please’ Leclerc, due to it being ‘impossible’ for engineers to take two different routes in development to cater to both drivers.
If Leclerc fails to harmonise with the changes made, it could produce further ‘discontent’ in the 28-year-old’s side of the Ferrari garage.
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The first few appearances at a race track for Hamilton certainly bode well for Ferrari’s upcoming term. The seven-time world champion has had a positive demeanour in any interviews thus far, a far cry from the Hamilton we saw in the media pen throughout 2025.
The sudden burst of optimism may have been spurred on by the other changes that are happening within Hamilton’s side of the garage.
Last week, Ferrari announced that Hamilton would be working with a new race engineer following the clear communication issues that he experienced with his former right-hand man, Riccardo Adami.
A replacement hasn’t been made official just yet, but McLaren’s Cedric-Michel Grosjean is ‘Ferrari-bound’ according to recent reports.
Grosjean left the reigning world champions in December, having worked closely with Oscar Piastri during the Australian’s maiden title fight in 2025.
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