The SF-26 was developed under the leadership of Loïc Serra as chassis technical director and Enrico Gualtieri as power unit technical director. It was publicly revealed on 23 January 2026 during a shakedown at the Fiorano Circuit, where Ferrari showed the car's new push-rod front suspension — a reversal from the pull-rod arrangement introduced on the SF-25 — and the manual override mode for the active aerodynamics that form a central element of the 2026 rules.
The livery returns to a glossy, lighter red finish not seen on a Ferrari Formula One car since the 2018 SF71H, combined with increased use of white around the airbox and engine cover, echoing past eras of Ferrari's visual identity.
The SF-26 represents a clean-sheet response to the concept shortcomings that left the SF-25 unable to challenge McLaren for the 2025 title. Because Serra's team oversaw development from its earliest stages — in contrast to the SF-25, which Serra inherited in near-final form — the SF-26 carries his engineering philosophy throughout.
Hamilton set the fastest time during a pre-season test at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. At the Bahrain International Circuit test that followed, Ferrari unveiled two progressive aerodynamic concepts. The first was a unique rear exhaust wing intended to divert exhaust gases and extend diffuser airflow. The second was a radical inverted rear wing design capable of rotating when active aerodynamics are enabled, offering a distinctive approach to managing drag reduction under the new regulations. Ferrari reverted to a conventional rear wing configuration before the end of the test session.
The SF-26 made its competitive debut at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix. Leclerc qualified fourth and Hamilton seventh, and Ferrari's superior race starts — identified as a strength during pre-season testing — were evident immediately: Leclerc drove into the lead at Turn 1, clearing George Russell of Mercedes. A virtual safety car period during the early laps prompted Ferrari to leave both cars out while Mercedes pitted, granting Hamilton and Leclerc's rivals a tyre advantage. Leclerc and Hamilton ultimately finished third and fourth respectively.
For the Miami Grand Prix, Ferrari debuted eleven simultaneous upgrades — the largest single-round development package of any team at that event. Modified components included the floor, floor edge, diffuser, rear wing, both endplates, and front and rear suspension fairings. Ferrari stated that the front-end changes were aimed at flow stability and improved front wheel wake management, while the rear-end updates prioritised downforce increase and diffuser pressure gradient efficiency. Parts of the package had been evaluated at a filming day at Monza prior to Miami.
The SF-26 embodies Ferrari's response to the 2026 regulations, which brought revised aerodynamic rules centred on active aerodynamics and a substantially enhanced hybrid power unit formula. The return to push-rod front suspension signals a deliberate design choice to explore a different balance point from the SF-25's pull-rod front end. The 2026 regulations' emphasis on active aerodynamics creates new performance variables that teams manage through software as well as hardware, giving the manual override mode introduced at the Fiorano shakedown practical relevance in race conditions.
The SF-26 represents Ferrari's bid to be a championship contender in a new regulatory era after consecutive winless seasons in 2024 and 2025. Hamilton's first Grand Prix victory for Ferrari arrived in the 2026 season's opening phase, signalling that the team had addressed the fundamental pace deficit of its predecessor. The car's early-season points record and competitive showing across various circuits suggested the new regulations could suit Ferrari's engineering approach more closely than the post-2022 ground-effect formula.