Reasons Ferrari is holding off on shifting focus to the 2027 F1 vehicle just yet

Ferrari's team principal Fred Vasseur has stated that the Scuderia will continue to enhance its SF-26 Formula 1 car, even with its chances of clinching the title dwindling.

Following Lewis Hamilton's retirement from the Spanish Grand Prix due to brake issues, the seven-time world champion finds himself 101 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli in the drivers’ standings. Concurrently, Charles Leclerc's fourth-place finish at Madring leaves Ferrari 145 points behind Mercedes in the constructors’ standings.

With the cost cap and aerodynamic testing limitations in mind, the allocation of car development resources must be approached with caution; on the engine front, Ferrari has already rolled out the two ADUO upgrades permitted.

While teams are actively developing their contenders for 2027, Vasseur has no plans to shift Ferrari's entire focus to that just yet.

“We are not in the same position as we were 12 months ago,” the Frenchman remarked, referencing the regulatory changes coming in 2026. “What we develop today will be applicable to next year's project. We will keep progressing, possibly in different areas, different aspects.”

“The development we undertake now will see 80% of it carried over.”

Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari

When asked about Ferrari’s title prospects and whether it was ‘game over’ against Antonelli and Mercedes, Vasseur avoided a direct response.

“A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I would approach it race by race. That stance hasn’t changed,” he asserted.

For Ferrari, qualifying performance may prove crucial, as both Hamilton and Leclerc have not managed to secure a front-row position in any of the four qualifying sessions (including the Zandvoort sprint) since the summer break. Their average qualifying position stands at fifth, with the SF-26 lagging by 0.198 seconds to pole – slower than McLaren and Mercedes, yet faster than Red Bull.

“We must enhance this aspect because our race pace is demonstrably present,” Vasseur noted. “We definitely need to improve our qualifying performance.”

“Taking Zandvoort and this recent event into account, the characteristics of both events are somewhat similar for us. We showed decent pace in qualifying, but failed to consolidate everything on the final attempt, while our race pace remains satisfactory.”

“If I were to prioritize something for the team today, it would be the development of our pace during qualifying – focusing more on the progression rather than the outright pace. We were competitive on our first run in Q3; the potential exists, and we just need to refine our approach moving forward.”