Ferrari make 2027 development stance clear with ’80 per cent’ carry-over

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has ruled out switching the team’s development focus to 2027 as “80 per cent” of the work done today will carry over into next season.

Although Ferrari remains mathematically in both championship fights, Lewis Hamilton’s retirement from the Spanish Grand Prix left him 101 points behind Kimi Antonelli, while Ferrari trails Mercedes by 145 points in the Constructors’ Championship.

Fred Vasseur explains Ferrari’s 2027 development approach

Ferrari’s relentless upgrade push has continued throughout this season as the team has rolled out updates almost every weekend, including two major upgrade packages.

The team also brought two new innovations to the track: an exhaust flap and the ‘Macarena’ rear wing

Such has been Ferrari’s intense upgrade programme that Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff claimed Ferrari would “be running out of cost cap soon”, adding that Mercedes “haven’t got the margin financially” to introduce as many parts as Ferrari had.

Ferrari, though, has no intention of slowing down.

Although teams are starting to switch their focus to F1 2027’s car, Ferrari has no intention of abandoning its development of the SF-26 as Vasseur says “80 per cent” of the car will carry through into next year’s challenger.

Asked at the Spanish Grand Prix if Ferrari would switch focus after Mercedes extended its championship lead, Vasseur ruled that out.

“We are not in the situation of 12 months ago,” he told PlanetF1.com and other accredited media.

“Today, what we will develop, we will be able to carry it over on next year’s project. We will continue to work, but perhaps on different things, different aspects.

“The development that we do now, 80 per cent will be carried over.”

As for the F1 2026 championships, Vasseur is not willing to throw in the towel.

“Two or three weeks ago, I told you that I will take race by race. I didn’t change,” he said.

Lewis Hamilton v Charles Leclerc: F1 2026 scores

F1 2026: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between teammates

F1 2026: Head-to-head race statistics between teammates

One of those ‘different aspects’ that Charles Leclerc will hope Ferrari can address with next year’s car is its qualifying form.

The Monegasque driver believes that has proved to be one of Ferrari’s biggest weaknesses this season.

“I really don’t think we are worse than the others,” he said.

“I just think that, generally, our car is just a little bit weaker in qualifying than it is in the race with lower fuel.

“When you’ve got to really attack the kerbs, McLaren was very, very strong, and we were a bit on the wrong side of things on that.

“So, we paid the price this weekend, probably because of this. But as a whole, I always feel like we are a bit on the back foot in quali.”

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