While there is a lot to play for in 2025, the F1 paddock is in consensus that next season is a stop gap before the 2026 regulations reset kicks in. And while all the teams will be vying for points and a shot at the title next season, a decision about shifting focus to 2026 is to be made. Ferrari team principal, Frederic Vasseur has explained that they are yet to decide on the same.
While speaking to Sky Sports, the Frenchman revealed that he is unsure of when the team will start working on the 2026 car. However, he expects their rivals to also be facing the same dilemma. “I think everyone on the grid will be in the same situation,” he explained.
As Vasseur explained, the Scuderia will wait for the first few rounds of the championship to play out before taking the plunge. “We will have to make a decision about 2025 at some point about completely shifting the focus to 2026. Of course, this will depend on the first races of the season, after you see if you are fighting for something or not,” he said.
The @FIA have released images of what the 2026 car is expected to look like after the new regulation changes
The cars will be 30kg lighter, 200mm shorter and 100mm narrower. pic.twitter.com/7tsEFqQvJI
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) June 6, 2024
In 2024, the Maranello team narrowly missed out on breaking their 16-year-old title drought. While this was a disappointment for them, Vasseur knows that this places them favorably for next season — with a car that will be competitive at least at the start of the season.
Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes will want to hit the ground running in 2026
The 2026 regulations pose an interesting prospect for teams like McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes. In 2025, the teams will have to play a fine balance between focusing on the championship and sacrificing performance for the sake of 2026.
This would be an important decision that could change the complexion of the F1 grid when the new regulations kick in. In this sport, it has always been imperative to set the tone at the start of a new era.
In 2014, with the turbo-hybrid engines, Mercedes were the ones who aced the regulations out of the box. They went on to win eight consecutive titles. Red Bull have also shown the importance of hitting the ground running. Since 2022, they’ve won two Constructors’ titles.
So, it will be interesting to see whether Ferrari take that risk of losing out on the 2025 championship to have a sustained competitive advantage for 2026 and beyond.
