Ferrari are looking to bounce back strongly in 2026 after a hugely disappointing season saw them winless for the first time in four years. Formula one winless seasons in Maranello are less rare than many may think, with the Scuderia recording their 17th in 75 years.
The longest spell the Italian racing marque went without a win was from 1991-1994 and spanned 58 Grand Prix. The drought was finally ended by driver Gerhard Berger who won his home race in Hockenheim at the 1994 German Grand Prix.
2025 saw the fanfare arrival of Lewis Hamilton’s in January who was afforded a personalised tour of the facilities by group chairman John Elkann. And it was he who was credited in the Italian media with landing the seven tines F1 champion to restore Ferrari’s fortunes.
Ferrari suffering longest F1 championship drought
Yet it was not to be and the Scuderia have now extended their drought of constructor championship years to seventeen years, one longer than their previous worst era between 1983-1999. In terms of a drivers’ title, its now eighteen years since Kimi Raikkonen pipped both Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton to the post by a single point. The team’s longest winless streak for this championship is 21 years from 1979 (Jodie Scheckter) to 2000 (Michael Schumacher).
With Formula One’s biggest shakeup of the technical regulations in its history, expectations are high in Maranello for a Ferrari reset. With both new power units and chassis slated for 2026, a change in the pecking order is expected by many paddock analysts.
The huge question is ‘will Ferrari finally wake from its slumbers next season?’ Can the team deliver on the new and highly complex hybrid powertrains which switch from 80-20 output in favour of the internal combustion engine power to 50/50 between the ICE and the electrical hybrid components.
Unlike their other top four rivals Ferrari bailed early on their 2025 car development instead opting to put most of their resources into the 2026 car and power unit instead. Recently Fred Vasseur revealed it was just a handful of races into the 2025 season when the team decided their SF-25 challenger should be parked due to a terminal fault in its design.
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Scuderia 2026 engine hitting the numbers
Reports from Italian F1 journalists are suggesting the hybrid components are producing good numbers. Energy recovery targets have been met and exceeded leading engineers to a express confidence the foundations of the project are solid.
Given one of the major pitfalls expected for 2026 was the increased reliance on electrical power and the potential for cars to run out of energy before the end of a long straight, the Scuderia hitting its energy recovery targets suggests they have avoided one of the traps set by the new technical rules.
Other reports claim the power units architecture has allowed the chassis designers to push for far more aerodynamically efficient bodywork designs. Yet the proof of the pudding will come when the cars hit the track for pre-season testing, often a movement for tifosi hope, which later turned into grief.
In 2022, Ferrari were considered to be ahead of the field after testing and early season form appeared to confirm this analysis. Charles Leclerc won two of the first three races of the year, finishing second on the podium in the other.
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Ferrari to evolve front wing design
Yet Red Bull and Max Verstappen came bouncing back going on to win 15 of the 22 Grand Prix that year, and Ferrari finished over 200 points behind the Milton Keynes based team. Ferrari believe they have an efficient sidepod solution which are ‘crucial’ to the new rules reset. As Red Bull and Mercedes have demonstrated done well, this can have a big impact in generating downforce.
However, team believe the new front wings designed to prevent outwash which creates the dirty air for the car behind, may be evermore crucial in delivering a fast car for 2026. A report by La Gazzetta dello Sport – often considered a mouthpiece for senior Ferrari management viewpoints – claims Ferrari will be using the Barcelona test to “verify the functionality” of their package before adopting a more “definitive structure” come the Bahrain test.
One area where there is some uncertainty in the direction of travel is there front wing which is deemed “criticial” for the overall package. Given the front wing will be used by the driver to improve downforce in the corners but dump drag along the straights, its design is vital to the performance of the entire car.
The in wash design with the narrower front end plates is meant to funnel air underneath the car to improve the work of the diffuser. The moveable front wing will require flaps which deliver both downforce in the higher angle of attack and reduced drag when laid flat.
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Barcelona test: Data collecting for re-design
Ferrari have made the decision to collect as much data as possible during the Barcelona test, to then develop fully the direction of travel for the front wing. Technical director Loic Serra will have six weeks and two further tests to refine the Barcelona concept of the front wing.
With six days more testing available to the teams this pre0season coming, the cars which arrive in Australia may look significantly different than the ones which come out of the box on the 26th January.
Whilst Ferrari feel well prepared as far as their power unit is concerned, it feels as though they may yet be in the dark with regards to the crucial front wing design.
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Ferrari protest Red Bull/Mercedes 2026 PU designs
Further despite the confident reports in the Italian press, Ferrari are believed to have protested to the FIA over a loophole Red Bull and Mercedes are said to be exporting. By designing their combustion engines with certain components which expand when hot, they can by-pass the mandated maximum compression tested for by the FIA when the cars are stationary and engines at ambient pressure.
The improvement in the compression ratio’s is reportedly worth around 0.25-0.3 tenths of a second. Its impossible for the FIA to test the compression whilst the cars are live on track and so Ferrari will need to smart up quickly and design their own components to match the Red Bull and Mercedes’ trickery.
All in all, a tale of promise from Northern Italy, but it is yet to be proven on track.
How the F1 drivers top ten vote compares to team bosses
Formula One instigated its annual driver awards end of season vote back in 2016. Both the drivers and the team bosses enter a secret ballet to rank the top ten drivers of the season.
The vote is not compulsory and this year four drivers chose not to participate. Points are scored on the same system as they are allocated in Grand Prix with 25 for the best driver and 1 for the tenth ranked pilot.
Yesterday TJ13 reported on the team principal’s vote which again ranked Max Verstappen as the best in 2025, following his comeback from a 104 point deficit to just 2 points when the chequered flag fell in Abu Dhabi…..`READ MORE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
