Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur reckons “pure efficiency” is kind of irrelevant on the first pre-season take a look at for the 2026 Formulation 1 season as a result of regulation change coming in.
The 2026 marketing campaign will introduce adjustments to each the ability unit and chassis, as vehicles will turn out to be lighter and smaller and there’ll be extra emphasis on electrical energy.
With an enormous regulation change for the upcoming 12 months, there can be three separate pre-season checks: Barcelona (26-30 January), Bahrain (11-13 February) and Bahrain once more (18-20 February).
Barcelona is even a non-public take a look at to offer groups the chance to adapt to the brand new guidelines with out the beady eye of the general public, forward of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on 6-8 March.
“We aren’t used to 9 take a look at days,” stated Vasseur. “The final 4 or 5 seasons, we did three. It is a bonus, however it’s additionally a very completely different programme.
“It signifies that the primary goal in this type of season is to get the reliability. First we have to get mileage. It is also what we wish to keep away from in comparison with 2025, is that once we have been misplaced at the start of the season with the disqualification, we misplaced mileage, we misplaced reference, after which you might be working after this.
Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari
Photograph by: James Sutton / Formulation 1 / Formulation Motorsport Ltd by way of Getty Pictures
“It is a lengthy course of. It signifies that the primary focus in Barcelona can be to get mileage with the automobile, to know the reliability of the automobile, the place we’ve to enhance and what we’ve to react to as a result of in case you perceive one thing in Bahrain, you will not have time to react for Australia.
“Barcelona can be, for positive, to get mileage, greater than pure efficiency.”
The Ferrari crew principal even thinks that everyone will arrive on the first take a look at “with not a mule automobile, however let’s say a spec A” that ought to look very completely different to the one which hits the Melbourne monitor.
It’s such improvement which Vasseur subsequently thinks will outline the upcoming regulation period, as Ferrari bids for its first title because the 2008 constructors’ championship.
“Subsequent 12 months it will not be in regards to the first image of the season, it will not be all in regards to the classification of Australia, it is going to be rather a lot about improvement and capability of fast improvement,” stated Vasseur, whose crew completed fourth within the 2025 standings.
“That season will not be over in Australia for positive, it does not matter if we’re P1 or P10, however it is going to be a great distance till the tip, it is going to be a great distance for everyone.”
Further reporting by Stuart Codling
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