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Ralf Schumacher is no stranger to a harsh verdict on Ferrari, but the former F1 driver has performed a U-turn on the Scuderia’s 2026 F1 chances after a positive showing from the team in Bahrain.
During Lewis Hamilton’s maiden season in Maranello last year, Ralf Schumacher was one of Ferrari’s biggest critics.
The Briton’s disappointing results fuelled the former F1 driver’s statements, with Schumacher going as far as to say Ferrari are ‘doomed’ unless they replace Hamilton.
It was quite the verdict, and the German received his fair share of backlash for the comments from those faithful to the seven-time world champion.
Schumacher was then accused of being envious of Hamilton’s accolades, which he labelled as ‘nonsense’ after addressing them on his podcast.
With all of that now in the past, it seems like the six-time Grand Prix winner’s opinion has shifted, with his latest opinion on Ferrari’s chances for the upcoming season being rather positive.
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Ralf Schumacher says Ferrari are now in a ‘better position’ after his previous ‘disaster’ verdict
Ahead of the shakedown in Barcelona, former F1 driver Schumacher revealed the sentiments that he had heard were coming out of Maranello regarding the progress of Ferrari’s 2026 F1 challenger, the SF-26.
They were overwhelmingly negative, with Schumacher describing it as already being a “disaster” despite the new F1 car not even being unveiled at the time.
However, following the conclusion of the first week of testing in Bahrain, Schumacher has seemingly changed his opinion.
He told viewers of Sky Sport Germany during his punditry duties, “Ferrari is definitely in a better position than feared.
“There were a lot of rumours, alleged problems with the crash tests, and issues with the carbon fibre. But everything looks good here.”
Charles Leclerc was highly complimentary of Ferrari’s testing programme at the end of the three-day test, highlighting his satisfaction with the preparedness of Scuderia personnel in comparison to the way the iconic Italian racing outfit turned up to testing last year.
The best is yet to come for the tifosi as well, with Ferrari reportedly readying a new upgrade package for the second week of testing in Sakhir to maximise the amount of data they can collect before the season opener in Melbourne.
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Lewis Hamilton has looked a lot more ‘comfortable’ in the SF-26 during pre-season testing
Ferrari will be well under the spotlight during the upcoming term, with Hamilton’s performances with the new SF-26 likely to be the most scrutinised out of everyone else.
The F1 legend experienced his worst-ever season in the sport last year, ending the campaign with zero podiums to his name for the very first time in his career.
However, early signs point towards Hamilton being more ‘comfortable’ with the new F1 car, with Ferrari ambassador Marc Gene highlighting how he has finally managed to adapt his driving style to suit Italian machinery.
What’s more, Hamilton’s race simulations suggest he currently has the best pace in race trim, which is great news for his fans who have recently had to endure the most difficult years of the 41-year-old’s tenure in F1.
The real test will be once the cars hit the track for the first round of racing at the Australian Grand Prix. However, going into the season-opener with a lot of confidence will certainly help Hamilton hit the ground running.
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