The historic team Ferrari faces the 2026 season Formula 1 with a mixture of prudence and optimism, with the hope of fighting for the championship again after almost two decades without constructors’ titles, the last one achieved in 2008.
The Italian team arrives at the start of the championship, which starts this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, after some pre-season tests in Bahrain that left good feelings, although within the team they prefer to remain cautious.
Not even the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, nor Charles Leclercnor the team director Frédéric Vasseur have wanted to draw definitive conclusions about the new SF-26, a car completely redesigned in engine, chassis and aerodynamics to adapt to the new technical regulations of Formula 1.
“The conditions in the trials are never really representative and Melbourne will be the first real opportunity to measure our competitiveness against our rivals,” Vasseur explained in a statement prior to the start of the season.
The French engineer stressed that there are still many unknowns: “We face this weekend with concentration and humility.”
Hamilton feels more connected to the new Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, who is entering his second season with the Scuderia at the age of 41, appeared relaxed during pre-season and expressed his enthusiasm for the new car.
The British driver assured that the SF-26 has “a bit of my DNA”, something that makes him feel much more comfortable than with the 2025 car, a season in which he experienced a very difficult year without achieving podiums.
Despite this, Hamilton avoided talking about his possible eighth world title, which would make him the most successful driver in the history of Formula 1.
Leclerc is also excited after the tests in Bahrain
For his part, Charles Leclerc, 28, also appears among the drivers to follow after standing out in the Bahrain tests, where he accumulated many laps and set the best time of the preseason, with a record slightly lower than 1:32.
However, the Monegasque pilot preferred to remain cautious.
“Everyone hides their cards,” Leclerc said, comparing the preseason to a poker game in which teams avoid showing their true potential.
Rivals see Ferrari as strong
While Ferrari remains cautious, some of its main rivals have praised the Scuderia’s performance.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown – whose team was champion in 2025 – assured that Ferrari will be among the strongest teams.
“We are in the top 4. Not in the lead, but the season will be long. The guys in red and the guys in silver gray are very solid,” he said, referring to Ferrari and Mercedes.
Also from Mercedes, the young Italian talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli, 19, considered that Ferrari will be “very competitive.” For his part, Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar pointed out that Leclerc could be the rival to beat.
Ferrari, a legend of Formula 1
Founded by Enzo Ferrari, the Scuderia is the most historic team in Formula 1. It has participated in all the championships since 1950 and has one of the most successful careers in motorsport.
In more than seven decades, Ferrari has won 16 constructors’ titles and 15 drivers’ championships, including Michael Schumacher’s seven.
Legends such as Juan Manuel Fangio, Niki Lauda and Kimi Räikkönen also passed through its ranks, the latter being the last driver to win a world title with Ferrari, in 2007.
According to the team’s own data, Ferrari has competed in 1,122 Grand Prix, with 248 victories and 836 podiums, figures that reflect its enormous legacy in Formula 1.
