Feb.23 (GMM) Ferrari is emerging as the early favourite for the 2026 season after an eye-catching turnaround from last year’s disappointing campaign.
The Italian team impressed most during the second pre-season test in Bahrain, with rivals openly acknowledging both its pace and technical creativity under the new energy-focused regulations.
Lewis Hamilton, who endured a psychologically difficult end to 2025, struck a confident tone after the test.
“I’m not going anywhere, so stick with me,” he wrote on Instagram. “For a moment, I forgot who I was, but thanks to you and your support you’re not going to see that mindset again.”
On track, Ferrari’s innovations have drawn particular attention. The team has introduced a heat-resistant wing element near the exhaust, a distinctive 270-degree flipping rear wing, and what some believe is a smaller turbo configuration designed to mitigate start-phase weaknesses seen elsewhere under the new regulations.
Williams’ James Vowles was impressed.
“Ferrari – they’re bringing out great innovations, they’re constantly developing,” said the Williams boss.
On the unusual rear wing packaging, he added: “They’ve cleverly packaged the active aerodynamics in the endplates.” He admitted it was not an approach he had considered.
Former F1 team boss Franz Tost suggested Ferrari’s strong race starts may be linked to turbo architecture.
“Ferrari have had super starts – they probably use a smaller turbo, but they will likely have a slight disadvantage elsewhere,” he told Krone.
The FIA has already confirmed Ferrari’s rear wing concept is legal.
“There is no longer a maximum opening width for the gap between the main rear wing element and the upper section,” Nikolas Tombazis said. “We wanted to give the teams more creative freedom, and from our point of view, Ferrari’s solution is fine.”
Start procedures have become a flashpoint in the paddock. Several teams are pushing for changes that would allow more time to spool up turbo systems before the lights go out.
Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur is resisting.
“We raised the issue with the FIA a year ago,” he said. “Without the MGU-H, it was clear that it would be problematic. But the FIA didn’t adjust the procedure.”
Mercedes, however, is openly struggling in that phase. Kimi Antonelli admitted: “Starts are honestly our weak point.”
George Russell was even more blunt: “To win a race you have to be able to start like a winner. My two starts were probably my worst in Formula 1.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff supports a procedural tweak, including giving drivers a five-second warning before the first start light illuminates. “This is a good solution to avoid chaos,” he said.
Despite the debate, Ferrari’s outright speed has also stood out. Charles Leclerc ended the Bahrain test with the fastest qualifying simulation of the week.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is encouraged.
“Ferrari seems to be starting from a good base, Charles and Lewis are confident and we should be too,” he said.
Vasseur, however, urged caution.
“The most important thing this season will be our ability to develop and produce parts quickly,” he said. “The championship will be decided much more on that than on the performance in Melbourne, or even Bahrain.
“The goal isn’t to be first in the Bahrain tests.”
As for the opposition, Vowles suspects the competitive picture may still be shifting.
“Games are being played,” he said. “Red Bull looked really good until we talked about their power unit. Since then, they significantly scaled back.”
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