The 72nd F1 car produced by the iconic Italian marque, the SF-26 is Ferrari’s first clean-sheet design of F1’s new era under the 2026 regulations, as the team looks to end a winless run stretching back to 2024 and claim its first championship of any kind in nearly 20 years.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur described the car as the start of a new chapter for both the Scuderia and Formula 1 as a whole.
“The SF-26 marks the beginning of a new era for both Formula 1 and Ferrari, with new regulations introduced in the same year for the chassis and the power unit, as well as new fuels and new tyre sizes,” Vasseur said.
“This car is the result of a tremendous team effort and represents the start of a completely new journey, built around a different set of rules that inevitably brings a number of unknowns.”
Visually, Ferrari has returned to a gloss finish for the first time in seven seasons, with a brighter Rosso Scuderia inspired by the special livery run at Monza in 2025.
White also features more prominently around the cockpit and engine cover, evoking Ferrari liveries from the 1970s raced by the likes of Niki Lauda, Gilles Villeneuve and Jody Scheckter.
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A serrated edge along the top of the engine cover is also prominently on display, marking a notably different approach to other teams so far in 2026, while Ferrari has also opted for pushrod suspension at the rear of the car for the first time since 2011.
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Both of the team’s drivers, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, have been heavily involved in the development process, with the new regulations placing greater demands on driver input, particularly around energy deployment and system management.
“The 2026 regulations demand an even higher level of preparation, particularly for us drivers,” Leclerc said.
“There are many new systems to understand and optimise, which is why we have been heavily involved from the early stages of the project’s development.
“Energy management and the power unit will be among the most significant aspects – a fascinating challenge which will require us drivers to adapt quickly, relying more on instinct to begin with, and then increasingly on precise data.
“The support of the fans will be especially important this season: it is what makes Ferrari so unique and pushes us to give our very best.”
Hamilton, preparing for his second season with Ferrari, described the project as one of the biggest technical challenges of his career.
“The 2026 season represents a huge challenge for everyone, probably the biggest regulation change I have experienced in my career,” he said.
“Being involved from the very start in the development of such a different car has been a particularly fascinating challenge.
“It is a challenge we face together as a team, supported by the extraordinary passion of Ferrari’s tifosi, which means so much to all of us.”
Ferrari will begin its on-track programme immediately, with a shakedown at its private Fiorano test track followed by the private teams’ test in Barcelona next week.
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