Fred Vasseur, Ferrari’s team principal, has been careful not to set expectations too high ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season opener, but fans aren’t ignoring how significant this year could be.
The team needs a strong response after last season’s disappointing campaign, especially with major rule changes offering an opportunity to reset the order.
Ferrari hasn’t celebrated a championship win since 2008. Still, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in their lineup for this year, they’ve got a pair of drivers fully capable of fighting for titles.
There are still three pre-season tests to go before the Australian Grand Prix kicks off the new calendar. Even so, it looks like tensions are already starting to rise away from the track.
Word is that Ferrari might be considering a formal challenge against all Mercedes and Red Bull-powered teams over what they believe is a loophole found during their engine development process.
Ferrari reportedly preparing to challenge Mercedes and Red Bull after 2026 Australian Grand Prix
There’s talk that Mercedes and Red Bull may have found a way to squeeze extra performance out of next season’s power units before the first race gets underway.
Formula 1’s upcoming regulations are some of the most detailed yet, with over 100 pages covering everything from car design to technical limits.
Still, there are reports that a gap in the rules involving combustion engine compression ratios might have been discovered.
Blick has reported that this could result in an increase of more than 20 horsepower for the power unit, which would immediately benefit six teams: Mercedes, McLaren, Williams, Alpine, Red Bull and Racing Bulls.
Blick also noted that Ferrari are said to be unhappy about the situation.
According to reports, both Ferrari and other manufacturers who haven’t taken advantage of the loophole plan to formally protest right after the Melbourne race concludes.
This wouldn’t be unprecedented. Back in 2009, Brawn GP took advantage of a similar grey area by using a double diffuser. That move gave Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello an early edge that helped Button secure his only drivers’ title later that year.
Guenther Steiner doesn’t see Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc as Ferrari’s next world champion
If Ferrari’s protest against the Mercedes and Red Bull-powered cars doesn’t go their way, they may need to quickly adapt by replicating the development work.
Adrian Newey has suggested that the new regulations might play into Hamilton’s strengths more than the previous ground-effect era. However, without a competitive car, Hamilton’s wait for a first Ferrari title will likely continue.
Both drivers are under contract beyond 2026, but ongoing struggles could make them question their long-term futures with the team.
Vasseur understands that if Ferrari can’t match up to teams like Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull, he may not have continued backing from John Elkann and other key figures in Maranello.
Guenther Steiner has gone so far as to predict that neither Leclerc nor Hamilton will be Ferrari’s next world champion—a reflection of how little confidence there is within F1 circles about the team’s chances heading into 2026.
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