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The 2025 Formula 1 season is quickly being forgotten by those at Ferrari ahead of the upcoming regulation changes next year.
Team principal Fred Vasseur will not look back fondly at the first campaign he spent alongside Lewis Hamilton since their time together in GP2.
Charles Leclerc watched on as the team he nearly guided to a constructors’ championship victory in 2024 wilted and could only manage P4 in the standings this season.
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The rule changes arriving in 2026 are arguably more important for Ferrari than any other team in the paddock.
They haven’t won a championship since 2008 despite investing vast resources in their Formula 1 programme and signing a multitude of world champions.
The Scuderia believe they’ve now identified one of the key aspects of the new ruleset and are investing heavily to try and get the better of Red Bull and Mercedes next season.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory
Ferrari identify sidepods as ‘crucial’ car component for the 2026 Formula 1 season
A report from the technical experts at F1 Analisi Tecnica has shared more details on the work Ferrari are doing on their sidepods ahead of next year.
Ferrari believe that the tyres and sidepods will be ‘crucial’ next season, as they believe the FIA’s new rules will eliminate the outwash effect.
This means that turbulence created by the car can’t be pushed outwards, in the hopes that cars will have an easier time following each other.
The change in the aerodynamic design of the floors also means that there will be more emphasis on the front and rear wings next year, but the sidepods are set to play a crucial role too.
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The report suggests that Ferrari have ‘never been on par’ with Red Bull and McLaren when it comes to ‘generating downforce’, and so that’s where the tyres and sidepods come into play.
Loic Serra, Ferrari’s technical chief, is trying to learn from the team’s previous mistakes and ‘some F1 engineers’ believe the sidepods will be ‘very important in optimising the car’s vortex structure’.
Ferrari are concentrating on tyre management, and have ‘studied the side bargeboard area extensively’.
Serra’s team have ‘studied this area intensively’ and now believe this will be ‘decisive’ in creating that outwash going into next season.
READ MORE: Who is Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur? Everything you need to know
Ferrari already planning changes to help Lewis Hamilton after difficult 2025 season
Ultimately, Ferrari go into the 2026 season with two goals, but they might not necessarily go hand-in-hand.
Leclerc and Hamilton are both incredibly quick drivers and could mount championship campaigns in the right car.
But it’s still unclear whether their driving styles are similar enough for Ferrari to design one car that works perfectly for both of them.
Vasseur won’t want to prioritise one driver at this stage of the development cycle, but that leaves him in a tricky position.
Not only that, but it’s also not clear whether the fastest car Ferrari can produce under the 2026 ruleset will necessarily be the fastest car in the hands of either of their drivers.
Hamilton’s adaptability will be questioned after a slow start in Maranello in 2025, and if Ferrari’s new car doesn’t suit his driving characteristics, he could be in trouble.
Ferrari could mimic Mercedes’ steering wheel going into next year, which might help Hamilton adjust, but if he and Leclerc start requesting divergent development paths, then Vasseur faces yet another difficult challenge.
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