Ferrari, unveiled the SF-26: a novelty steals the'eye
In Maranello, Ferrari unveiled the SF-26, the new single-seater in which Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will race in the 2026 F1 World Championship. Immediately striking is the all-white cockpit, reminiscent of the legendary ‘312 T’ with which Niki Lauda won the World Championship in 1975. The car that will compete in the next Formula One World Championship is the seventy-second in the history of the Maranello stable: the’eighth as far as the Monegasque Leclerc is concerned; only the second, however, for seven-time world champion Hamilton.
It will be precisely the British driver who will be the first to take to the track in the new 2026 car at Fiorano for the shakedown, then it will be Leclerc’s turn. Just a couple of race laps and a practice run to test that everything is working perfectly ahead of the tests in Barcelona, at Montmeló, set for Jan. 26-30, in which the teams will fine-tune the new power units as well as begin to accumulate kilometers, without immediately seeking the’goal of performance in terms of speed.
The new single-seater is also the first by engineer Loic Serra. “The development of the SF-26 project required us to adapt to a completely new regulatory framework,– he explained. “We spent a lot of time on the conceptual phase to incorporate as much of the new regulatory and technical environment as possible. At the same time, it was crucial to ensure that the architecture of the car gave us sufficient flexibility for development throughout the season”.
“In this scenario, efficiency and the integration of solutions such as active aerodynamics are key elements. The SF-26 represents a great choral effort by the whole team at the factory and we look forward to the season” concluded the French technical director.
On Friday we will also witness the official presentation of the BWT Alpine. Williams will present itself to the world on February 3, while McLaren, interestingly, has decided that it will be “visible” on February 9, the same day as the launch of Aston Martin.
