The Ferrari has emerged from the opening phase of winter testing with cautious optimism, buoyed by strong reliability and a substantial mileage haul ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Following a disappointing 2025 campaign that saw the Scuderia slip to fourth in the constructors’ standings, Ferrari has focused its early efforts on understanding the all-new SF-26 under the revised regulations. According to team principal Fred Vasseur, that approach is already paying dividends.
Between the Barcelona shakedown and last week’s running at the Bahrain International Circuit, Ferrari has accumulated more than 4,500 kilometres. The team finished the Bahrain test third on the timesheets with Lewis Hamilton, who suffered a late technical issue in the final session, marking the car’s first stoppage of the winter.
Despite the interruption, the incident did little to dent confidence within the team. Paddock rumours suggest Ferrari had not changed the power unit fitted to Hamilton’s car since Barcelona, underlining the overall robustness of the package.
“So far, so good,” Vasseur said. “We’ve completed around 4,500 kilometres and reliability has been strong. That’s the best way to collect data, understand the different options and improve the car step by step. We’re not talking about performance yet — everyone is focusing on their own references — but building knowledge has been a positive process. There’s still a long way to go.”
Development race set to intensify
Ferrari has steered clear of early debates over the competitive order, with rivals Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes also playing down their respective form. With the pecking order still unclear, Vasseur expects significant changes in the weeks ahead.
“I’m convinced everyone will bring major upgrades to the next test and probably again for Melbourne,” he added. “At the start of the season, the rate of development is very high. It makes sense to push hard on new parts, but our focus remains on ourselves.”
Testing resumes in Bahrain from 18–20 February, before the 2026 season gets underway in Australia on the first weekend of March.