Ferrari 2026 car launch: A glossy new look for the Scuderia

Written by Caitlyn Gordon, Edited by Benjamin Crundwell

Ferrari unveiled its 2026 competitor at Fiorano. The SF-26 took to the circuit for a quick shakedown with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc clocking their first laps of the year. 

Credit: Formula One

After a lacklustre 2025 season, the Prancing Horse aims to bounce back with the fresh regulations leaving a lingering question mark over how the season will unfold. 

Ferrari pulled the curtain off the SF-26 to reveal a sleek looking livery, featuring its historic red and integrating white which has a more prominent presence on the car compared to the SF-25.

"It will be an extremely important year from a technical perspective, with the driver playing a central role in energy management, understanding the new systems and contributing to the car's development." Hamilton said to the BBC. 

Credit: Formula One

"The 2026 season represents a huge challenge for everyone, probably the biggest regulation change I have experienced in my career.

"When a new era begins everything revolves around development, growth as a team, and moving forward in the same direction."

Hamilton's team-mate Charles Leclerc added onto the 41-year-old‘s thoughts highlighting the difficulties of the new regulations: "The 2026 regulations demand an even higher level of preparation, particularly for us drivers. 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."

Credit: Formula One

Despite the unknown of the season, both Hamilton and Leclerc aim to get back to winning ways, with neither driver achieving a win since 2024.

The pair finished in fifth and sixth, respectively in 2025. With a string of poor performances, Ferrari were unable to close the gap to Red Bull, rounding out the season in fourth - the team's lowest finishing position since 2020. 

Chassis technical director Loic Serra provided an insight on how building the SF-26 unfolded: "Developing the SF-26 required us to adapt to a completely new regulatory framework.

"We dedicated significant time to the concept phase to capture as much of possible of the new regulatory and technical context. We also had to ensure that the car’s architecture would allow us enough flexibility for in season development.

"In this environment, efficiency and the integration of features like active aerodynamics are crucial. The SF-26 represents a major collaborative effort from the entire team at the factory, and we are looking forward to starting the season."

The official F1 shakedown takes place on January 26-30 in Barcelona, where the drivers will get their first proper feel of the 2026 regulations.