Ferrari set to make ‘courageous’ decision and copy McLaren’s winning approach with 2026 F1 car

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Ferrari chiefs will know just how important the next few weeks are ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season, welcoming a huge change in regulations.

This time last year, team principal Fred Vasseur would have felt very confident about Ferrari’s chances.

They had narrowly missed out on winning the 2024 constructors’ championship to McLaren and were about to welcome Lewis Hamilton into the team.

What unfolded in 2025 was a disaster for Ferrari, as they failed to win a Grand Prix and sank to fourth in the standings.

Finish the sentence: Lewis Hamilton will finish the 2026 F1 season in ______

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Charles Leclerc’s future has been questioned as he was once again denied the chance to challenge for a championship due to an underperforming car, and Hamilton’s place on the F1 grid is suddenly a talking point.

The upcoming regulations changes in 2026 provide Ferrari with the perfect opportunity to reset and challenge for titles once again.

It’s now emerged that Loic Serra, Ferrari’s technical chief, is set to take inspiration from McLaren’s approach that has seen them rise to the top of the table.

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

Ferrari set to copy McLaren’s ‘courageous’ approach ahead of F1’s 2026 rule changes

A report from Formula Uno Analisi Tecnica has shared more details about how Ferrari plan to tackle next season.

They believe Serra has ‘proposed a different way of thinking’ and wants Ferrari to concentrate on efficiency as opposed to pure power.

This ‘courageous’ approach is believed to be the best way to tackle the new regulations, with much being made of how the new power units are going to deliver performance throughout a racing lap.

Ferrari have concerns about how to get the most out of the Pirelli tyres next year, as they struggled to find a way to unlock their full potential last season.

Ferrari failed to win a Grand Prix in 2025, but how many do you predict they will win in 2026 under the new regulations?

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It’s believed Serra has asked the team to concentrate on the ‘flexibility of the front suspension’, which could allow Ferrari to optimise grip and the stability of the car, something Leclerc and Hamilton struggled with last year.

Ferrari’s new suspension is said to have been ‘deemed compliant’ by the FIA, ‘despite exploiting a controlled deformation of the component when the applied load follows directions different from those imposed by FIA regulations’.

If Ferrari have found a suspension loophole in the rules that doesn’t get closed, then it could provide them with a useful advantage.

It’s something Rob Marshall at McLaren has been doing since the start of the 2024 season, as he ‘completely changed’ the team’s way of thinking.

Marshall’s job is managing risk at McLaren, something Serra is now trying to do at Ferrari, according to ‘information’ F1AT has received from those inside their Maranello base.

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

Lewis Hamilton will appreciate Loic Serra’s change of approach at Ferrari

Hamilton struggled to get up to speed at Ferrari last year, finding that joining a new team with a completely different set of procedures and processes from what he had become used to at Mercedes over the past 12 seasons was incredibly difficult to adapt to.

A first podium-less season in Formula 1 followed, although the seven-time world champion worked tirelessly behind the scenes to get to grips with what Ferrari were offering him.

Hamilton’s suggestions for changes at Ferrari didn’t always go down well with staff who have become very used to working in one way.

He will appreciate that Serra is also relatively new to Ferrari, and so between the two of them, they can have a significant impact on how things are done at Maranello.

Whether that translates into improved results for Hamilton and Leclerc is yet to be seen, and will ultimately come down to several factors that are out of his control.