Ralf Schumacher has labelled Ferrari\u2019s reported approach to its F1 2026 car a \u201cdisaster\u201d, claiming the team is developing separate concepts to individually suit Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
According to Schumacher, pursuing different development paths undermines Ferrari\u2019s F1 2026 project, describing the idea as \u201ca disaster from the outset\u201d.<\/p>\n
Ralf Schumacher\u2019s warning to Ferrari<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n Last season, Ferrari<\/a> stopped developing its SF-25 early in the championship to focus on 2026 with its all-new cars and power units.<\/p>\n It was a frustrating situation for Hamilton and Leclerc as Ferrari fell further away from the front-runners as the season progressed, and dropped from second to fourth in the Constructors\u2019 standings in the final eight races.<\/p>\n Initially overhauled by Mercedes, Ferrari also fell behind Red Bull in a campaign in which it scored less than half the points of championship winners McLaren.<\/p>\n The team is hoping the decision to swap to 2026 early on will pay dividends this season as Hamilton seeks a record-breaking eighth World title, and Leclerc chases his first.<\/p>\n Finishing fourth in the Constructors\u2019 standings last year means Ferrari has more time than McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull on F1\u2019s sliding scale of aerodynamic testing restrictions.<\/p>\n But according to Schumacher, Ferrari has chosen a convoluted path with its 2026 challenger as it works to develop cars to suit Hamilton and Leclerc.<\/p>\n F1 2026: Formula 1\u2019s season of change<\/p>\n F1 2026 uncovered: Next-gen cars, new tyres, and design decisions<\/a><\/p>\n F1 2025 v F1 2026: Nine key questions ahead of huge regulation changes<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAs for Ferrari, disaster already seems to be looming again, at least reading between the lines,\u201d he told Sky Deutschland\u2019s Backstage Boxengasse podcast.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what stands out the most.<\/p>\n \u201cThey appear to be developing two different cars. I can almost imagine that it\u2019s because Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have completely different opinions on the car.<\/p>\n \u201cIf that\u2019s the case, it\u2019s a disaster from the outset.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always said you can\u2019t develop two cars and Fred Vasseur has hinted at it himself as well, so it all seems far from ideal.\u201d<\/p>\n Ferrari explain reasoning behind \u2018spec A\u2019 car for F1 2026<\/p>\n Ferrari team principal Vasseur explained the team\u2019s development early F1 2026 approach during his end-of-season press conference last year.<\/p>\n The Frenchman revealed Ferrari will hit the track in Barcelona for the behind-closed-door test in January with a basic car design, \u201cSpec A\u201d, with the intention of putting mileage on the car, and would then build on performance and aerodynamics in the latter two tests.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an approach he believes the rest of the grid will also adopt.<\/p>\n \u201cI think everybody will do it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn this situation, the most important is to get mileage. It\u2019s not to chase performance. It\u2019s to get mileage to validate the technical choice on the car in terms of reliability. And then to get performance.<\/p>\n \u201cIt means that I think everybody will come in Barcelona with, not a mule car, but let\u2019s say a Spec A.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not used to having nine test days anymore. The last four or five seasons, we did three [days]. It\u2019s an advantage, but it\u2019s also a completely different programme. It means that the first target in this kind of season is to get the reliability.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first races [in 2014\u2019s engine overhaul] you had a huge percentage of DNFs.<\/p>\n \u201cIt means that the first focus in Barcelona will be to get mileage with the car, to understand the reliability of the car, where we have to improve and what we have to react. Because if you understand something in Bahrain, by the second test, you won\u2019t have time to react for Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n The Scuderia will unveil its F1 2026 challenger on 23 January, before completing a shakedown run at the team\u2019s private Fiorano test track.<\/p>\n Vasseur revealed the team will be working on the Spec A car right up until the night before the launch.<\/p>\n \u201cThis will be aggressive for sure, because we will finish the assembly of the car the day before the launch,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe launch will be the 23rd of January in Maranello. It means that we\u2019ll finish the car on the 22nd. And this is aggressive, but everybody will do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n