Fred Vasseur ‘pleased’ Ferrari’s 2026 innovations have gained so much attention in F1 paddock

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Ferrari’s technical innovations for the SF-26 have got everyone talking in the Formula 1 paddock ahead of the 2026 season.

The Maranello outfit are looking to put behind their disappointment from 2025 and find success with the new regulations in 2026. Ferrari began working on the new ruleset early last year, and their car has certainly caused some intrigue.

In Bahrain testing, the team experimented with a new rear wing concept, with the flap flipping open instead of just simply opening. David Coulthard thinks Ferrari are tricking their rivals with the concept by using it as a distraction from their own cars.

F1 teams were flocking to photograph Ferrari’s rear wing during testing as they tried to analyse whether it could improve their performance. That was not the only trick the Maranello outfit brought to the car.

Gary Anderson was surprised no one thought of Ferrari’s smaller turbo, which he believes could give them an advantage over the field. Many suspect that the team will be fighting at the front this season, but it is merely speculation – speculation that Vasseur is happy with.

Fred Vasseur ‘pleased’ that everyone is talking about Ferrari’s technical innovations

Speaking to Motorsport Italia, the Ferrari team principal admitted that he was ‘pleased’ that people were talking about his team and their efforts with the SF-26.

“You have to explore the technical regulations, be aggressive, and push to the limit; that’s the only way to be innovative,” he said. “But we need to remember that innovation doesn’t just concern the visible part of the car.

“I’m pleased that two solutions attracted the attention of the press and the paddock, but in the past, we’ve introduced other innovations in non-visible areas—I’m talking about the suspension, cooling system, and engine—and I think this applies to all teams.

“As for us, I like seeing our engineers push themselves to the limit while always paying the utmost attention to legality.

“We’ve maintained an open dialogue with the FIA ​​since day one to discuss the innovations introduced; no one can afford to waste hours in the wind tunnel or budget cap resources risking bringing solutions that don’t comply with the regulations onto the track.”

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

Fred Vasseur was ‘impressed’ by Ferrari’s reliability in testing

Reliability also proved to be strong for Ferrari during pre-season testing, and it certainly left the boss impressed ahead of the new season.

Vasseur added: “Reliability comes first. If you can’t run consistently, you don’t collect data, you don’t verify correlations, and therefore you don’t make progress.

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“If we look at the last decade, the most significant evolution in Formula 1 has been reliability. I remember 2014, in Jerez, at the beginning of the hybrid era: the combined laps completed by all the teams was 94.

“Today, the scenario is completely different. I was impressed by the overall reliability. Even when an unexpected event occurred, no one was out for more than a couple of hours. It’s a huge step forward for Formula 1.”