Ferrari is not giving up on this season. Despite fading title hopes, the Maranello-based team continues to develop its SF-26 car rather than fully switching to the 2027 project. Team principal Fred Vasseur insists that current development will still be useful for next year.
This decision comes after Lewis Hamilton retired from the Spanish Grand Prix with brake issues, leaving him 101 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc finished only fourth at Madring, putting Ferrari 145 points adrift of Mercedes in the constructors' standings.
With cost cap and aerodynamic testing restrictions, resource allocation is crucial. Ferrari has already introduced its two allowed ADUO engine upgrades. However, Vasseur insists the team's focus is not entirely on 2027. "We are not in the situation of 12 months ago," he said, referring to F1's regulatory overhaul for 2026. "Today, what we will develop, 80% will be carried over to next year's project. We will continue to work, but perhaps on different things, different aspects."
When asked if the title fight is over, Vasseur refused to answer directly. "Two or three weeks ago I told you that I will take race by race. I didn't change," he insisted.
The key for Ferrari may be qualifying performance. Hamilton and Leclerc have both failed to qualify on the front row in any of the four sessions since the summer break (including the Zandvoort sprint). Their average position is fifth, with a deficit of 0.198s to pole. They are slower than McLaren and Mercedes but quicker than Red Bull.
"This we need to improve, because I think when you look at the pace, during the race the pace is there," Vasseur said. "For sure we need to do a better job in quali. If I have to put the focus of the team on something today, it would be the evolution of the pace during the quali – more than the pace in quali, the evolution, the steps that you can do. We were there on run one Q3, the potential is there, we just have to adapt everything further on."
With Vasseur's clear stance, Ferrari seems set to maximize the rest of the season to fix weaknesses, especially in qualifying, while laying the foundation for 2027. This approach aligns with the philosophy that current development is not wasted, as most components can be adapted to next year's car.
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