Ferrari set to overhaul 2026 F1 car design after 2025 failures

Ferrari are set to overhaul the design of their 2026 F1 car following a disastrous 2025 season.

Ferrari fell from second to fourth in the constructors’ championship and failed to win a single grand prix during a dismal campaign in which the Italian outfit failed to meet many of their targets.

Charles Leclerc managed seven podiums while huge new signing Lewis Hamilton had a debut season to forget as he failed to record a top-three finish in a grand prix and ended the year with three consecutive Q1 exits.

Ferrari decided to abandon development of their failed SF-25 in April once they realised their championship hopes were effectively doomed given the early-season dominance of the vastly-superior McLaren. Ferrari instead prioritised wind tunnel and development time to their 2026 project.

According to F1 technical analyst Rosario Giuliana, Ferrari’s 2026 car “will have little or nothing in common” with its predecessor as the team looks to right the wrongs of their 2025 challenger.

One positive of missing out on second place in the constructors’ championship is that Ferrari will have more wind-tunnel hours and CFD sessions than rivals McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull.

What were the key failings of the SF-25?

Giuliana detailed that the main problems with Ferrari’s 2025 challenger came at the rear-end.

The SF-25 was deliberately designed to be front-end loaded to suit Leclerc’s driving style. In contrast, Hamilton is said to have struggled from the rear instability.

Ferrari changed the rear suspension at the Belgium Grand Prix, which yielded slight improvements in terms of stability, though these updates did not bring significant performance gains.

Ferrari shelved plans to introduce a new floor around September as focus fully shifted onto the 2026 project.

Leclerc has already labelled 2026 as being a make-or-break year for Ferrari.

“Next year will be a crucial year,” Leclerc said at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

"The whole team is hugely motivated for next year, because it's such a big change, a huge opportunity to show what Ferrari is capable of. It's now or never, so I really hope that we will start this new era on the right foot, because it's important for the four years after.”

"By race six or seven, I think we'll have a good idea of who are the teams that will be dominating for the four years after."