Since the beginning of the season F1 it was seen that Ferrari had a great strong point for 2026: the exits. What was called his ‘mini turbo’ made the cars Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton They looked like those on the PlayStation with bursts that left the rest stuck.
However, this seems to have its days numbered… and in the ‘Scuderia’ they regret it because they know that their chances of winning in the race and in the World Championship will be greatly reduced.
The cause is the rule change agreed after the first appointments after the meetings sponsored by the FIA and F1 itself. It has allowed the others to adjust their engines from the beginning.
Those from Maranello defend that they They designed their SF-26 already thinking about these startswhich are vital in the Great Circus. “The compromise was: Do we want to gain a tenth per lap or lose five positions at the start? The engineers’ response was clear from the beginning: better to have a good exit“, explains Frederic Vasseur, the squad director, in The Race.
Forced changes
The leader remembers that the rest were alarmed only to see that the Italian cars were faster at the beginning. “I had spoken about this aspect with the Federation and also in meetings with the engine manufacturers months ago. The answer was always the same: the car must be designed according to the regulations, not the other way around. Then half of the grid complained, claiming that the exits were dangerousetc…”, he comments.
The ‘rosso’ executive believes that several teams said the key word to encourage variations: security. “A clever move, but it is not correct“, criticism.
Hamilton’s Ferrari of 2026.
That is why the FIA imposed a new starting procedure in Australia in which five seconds are added to the traffic light so that the teams can give more pressure to their turbos. Therefore, larger turbochargers, thanks to that, can be more efficient with power, so as not to create dangerous situations. Vasseur accepts it with irony. “Definitely It was the least favorable decision for us.but there wasn’t much he could do. Whether this is a safety issue is up to the FIA to decide. Of course They could have asked the other teams to start from the pit lane if the situation was as dangerous as they say…“, he threw.
Exit tests
In fact, after the modifications to the regulations, several teams have been seen using their ‘filming days’ (publicity days) to rehearse outings. The French manager even jokes. “I think that Without the new rules, some cars would still be on the grid in China“, he blurts out.
For this reason, the head of the ‘Ferrarista’ team is emphatic. “The truth is that for us it was an important decision. We developed the engine one way and then the rules changed at the last minute. It’s unfair“he concludes.
