Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has insisted it is “focused on our project” for the 2026 Formula 1 season, but admitted he has “no clue” how the team will fare.
The 2026 season is a step into the unknown for all 11 teams on the grid, as the sport enters a new phase with the introduction of the hotly anticipated new rulebook.
It brings one of the most potentially unpredictable seasons in years, in what is the biggest regulations overhaul since the beginning of the V6 hybrid era in 2014.
Whilst this, to some extent, takes the weight of expectations off the top teams, Ferrari will no doubt be feeling the strain, given its woefully underwhelming and win-less 2025 season.
Vasseur, speaking after the season finale in Abu Dhabi, is aware that all teams are currently in the dark about where its rivals are at with development, but promises the Scuderia is working hard.
“This I have no clue at all,” he told media including Motorsport Week at the Yas Marina Circuit, when asked if he had any clue as to the other teams’ current progress.
“You know perfectly that all sport is a comparison. I can do a good job, if someone did a better job, I look stupid.
“And that means that we are focused on our project, we are developing our project, we are pushing at the limit, and we are trying to do the best. And for sure, the more time you are spending on the project, the better you will be.
“But I don’t know if McLaren, Red Bull or Alpine is in front of us. This nobody knows. And I think the most important is not to spend time to try to understand if the others are in front or behind. This we know in Barcelona. I’m not sure, but I would say Australia probably.”
‘Classification of Australia’ will not determine 2026 F1 outcome for Ferrari
The pre-season schedule has been extended in 2026, with an initial January test in Barcelona preceding two separate programmes in Bahrain in February.
Whilst this may give an indication of who’s fastest, Vasseur is adamant that it will not be an indicator for the season as a whole, as teams will continue to tinker and develop.
“And another point is that next year, it won’t be about the first picture of the season. It won’t be all about the classification of Australia,” he said.
“It will be a lot about development and capacity of quick development. And that season won’t be over in Australia for sure, no matter if we are P1 or P10.
“But it will be a long way until the end.”
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