Ferrari Faces Early Crisis Rumours Amid Development Struggles

The legendary Ferrari team enters the new Formula 1 season with a desperate need to reclaim its position at the front of the grid. Following a deeply disappointing 2025 campaign—in which the Scuderia failed to win a single Grand Prix and slumped to fourth in the constructors' standings—the pressure on Maranello is at an all-time high. Despite boasting a superstar lineup of Charles Leclerc and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, reports suggest that the team’s internal direction may already be compromised.

Schumacher Labels Ferrari Project a "Disaster"

Analyst Ralf Schumacher has been particularly vocal about the situation, describing Ferrari as the potential "biggest disappointment" of the year. Schumacher pointed to a fundamental conflict in the team's development strategy, claiming that Ferrari is essentially trying to develop two different car concepts simultaneously. This split approach is reportedly a result of the vastly different feedback and preferences provided by Leclerc and Hamilton regarding the car's handling and balance.

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According to Schumacher, this divided focus is a recipe for failure. He argued that no team, regardless of its resources, can effectively develop two distinct aerodynamic philosophies at once without losing ground to more focused rivals like McLaren and Red Bull. Schumacher noted that even team principal Frédéric Vasseur has hinted that the current situation is far from ideal, leading to fears that the new SF-26 may be inherently flawed before it even turns a wheel in a competitive session.

A Race Against Time in Maranello

The rumors of development delays have also intensified in the Italian press, with some suggesting the car might not even have been ready for its official launch. While Ferrari attempted to quell these fears by releasing footage of a successful engine "fire-up" recently, the technical concerns remain. The gap to the frontrunners in 2025 was significant, and the

internal frustration between the drivers and the engineering department is reportedly simmering.

If Ferrari cannot find a unified direction for their development, the 2026 season could prove to be another long year for the Tifosi. The introduction of such radical new rules was supposed to be the moment for Ferrari to reset and challenge for the title, but if Schumacher's analysis proves correct, the team may have already tripped at the first hurdle. All eyes will now be on the pre-season tests to see if the SF-26 can overcome its troubled birth.