Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur expects a flurry of upgrades at the start of the 2026 season—the pace of development is extremely high, and hardly any team will wait and see.
The new era of regulations has not even really begun yet, but Frederic Vasseur is already anticipating a massive development race. The Ferrari team principal expects numerous teams to roll out major update packages very early in the 2026 season, possibly as early as the season opener in Australia.
“I’m really convinced that everyone will bring huge upgrades,” the Frenchman told F1.com. And that’s just the beginning: “That’s how it will be at the start of the season because the development rate is very, very high. It makes sense to speed up new parts and shorten the lead times for new components – but I’m focusing on ourselves.”
Ferrari is gathering knowledge first
While others are already thinking about the next update, Ferrari is focusing on the basics in the early stages. After the first week of testing in Bahrain, Vasseur drew a sober conclusion. “With a view to the start of the season, the goal was to make the most of the first test sessions, rack up a lot of miles, and collect as much data as possible. “
Operationally, everything has gone smoothly so far, ”with good reliability and many laps completed. This is important, both for our preparation and for the analysis of the data at the factory. We will use this data to further improve the car and our understanding of all processes.”
Performance secondary – for now
Vasseur does not want to commit to pure speed just yet. “Performance is another matter: at this stage, the priority is to build knowledge and put ourselves in the best possible position for Melbourne – knowing that we still have time to take further steps forward.”
It’s clear to everyone that there is still room for improvement. The season opener takes place from March 6 to 8 at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, followed by the Chinese Grand Prix just one week later. One thing is already clear: 2026 will not be a season of waiting. Those who hesitate early on will lose.
