Ferrari, updates for the SF-26 immediately: “They will also be present in the tests”

The Ferrari SF-26 seen in the Fiorano shakedown could change its skin very soon. The launch is only an A-version of the Maranello project, destined to receive updates in the coming weeks. The priority for the first tests, however, remains to strengthen reliability and accumulate kilometres, collecting as much data as possible to learn how to make the most of the new package. Evolution already during testing “With these regulations, the development of the car will be an important theme during the season”, announces Loic Serra, who for the first time puts his signature on a Maranello project as technical director. “There will certainly be some evolutions of the car. Development will also take place during the winter tests.” Until now, Ferrari has worked mainly on architecture, exploring as many avenues as possible to be sure of identifying the best concept, which can then be refined with updates in the pipeline. “We tried to lengthen the concept evaluation phase, on which we paid great attention,” says the technical director. Fred Vasseur echoes him, reiterating that at the Barcelona tests the priority will not be absolute performance: “We postponed the demo day as much as possible to have more time to develop the car. We knew the calendar from the beginning. It is a long-term process and we decided to develop at the next opportunity. The most important thing at the beginning is reliability. Having been able to run today without problems is a good step towards Barcelona. The objective will be to collect the maximum amount of information and data from the car and then from there we will also start development.” Continuous Development Being at the dawn of a new regulatory cycle, the teams have a great growth curve ahead of them, which will result in the arrival of numerous update packages. “The pace of development this season will be much more intense than what we have seen in previous years. Nobody knows what situation he will be in two weeks from now,” reflects Vasseur. Also for this reason, the balance of power at the first race will not necessarily remain the same for the entire season: “Melbourne will not be the end of the championship. We will have an enormous pace of development. On aerodynamics, every week we make an important leap and this is valid for us as for everyone. We must focus on ourselves and try to do a good job to develop in the coming weeks and throughout the season. It is still too early to make predictions”, concludes the Team Principal.