Ferrari’s ‘curiously calm’ approach to 2026 F1 engine saga and why it may worry Red Bull

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There are going to be multiple jobs at risk if Ferrari start the 2026 Formula 1 season poorly and cannot give their two drivers the chance to win races.

Charles Leclerc is one of the most patient people in the paddock and is now in his eighth season with the Scuderia. He has not yet been given a car capable of winning the drivers’ championship.

His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, could be entering the final year of an illustrious career. Will the motivation to carry on be there if he’s stuck in the midfield?

It all rests on Ferrari, who gave up early last year to focus on the 2026 F1 regulations. Will it be enough to end an 18-year title drought?

Are we looking at the car that will win Ferrari their first drivers’ championship since 2007?

Let us know in the comments below!

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F1 fans called Hamilton’s Ferrari ‘menacing’ from the onboard camera, and were impressed by what they saw after seeing his new car for the first time.

The SF-26 has ‘exceptionally refined’ engine packaging, which should have many advantages. As the season develops, cars are likely to look completely different. The development war will be real.

READ MORE: Ferrari now see former Oscar Piastri engineer as ‘most credible’ candidate for Lewis Hamilton role

Red Bull may be worried by Ferrari’s ‘curiously calm’ approach to F1 engine saga

Hamilton expects a ‘massive challenge’ in 2026, but it’s nothing that he hasn’t had to face before. 2014, 2017, and 2022 were all significant changes.

After getting technical with their new car, it looks as though Ferrari have made an ‘extremely aggressive’ decision with their anti-dive angle.

Remember, they now have 12 months of Hamilton’s feedback in the bank, and that’s going to help them everywhere. Things such as engine driveability are often forgotten about, but make big differences.

According to Leo Turini, Ferrari are actually being ‘curiously calm’ at the moment, despite complaints from other manufacturers about a possible engine trick that Mercedes and Red Bull may have.

If they’re staying calm, does that mean that they have found something that no one else is quite aware of just yet?

Perhaps Red Bull need to be a little bit more worried about what their competition might be bringing to the table at pre-season testing and beyond…

READ MORE: Juan Pablo Montoya fears Lewis Hamilton could end up in the same ‘horrible mess’ as Fernando Alonso

Why Ferrari would be wise to hide their 2026 secrets until the Australian Grand Prix

The easiest comparison to Mercedes and Red Bull’s rumoured engine trick is the 2009 double diffuser fiasco.

When teams discovered it, not much could be done until they developed their own versions. By then, it was too late for that current season.

Therefore, if Ferrari have found any loopholes, hiding them until Melbourne is a great idea, to avoid any fuss or potential for them to be outlawed.

The majority of the grid will bring entirely different cars to the second pre-season test in Bahrain, that’s nothing new, but on a technical level, it’s going to be fascinating to watch unfold.