Revealed: How Ferrari will split F1 development for 2025 and 2026

Ferrari are set to work on two fronts as F1 development plan emerges.

Charles Leclerc testing in Barcelona last week
Charles Leclerc testing in Barcelona last week

Details on how Ferrari will allocate their development resources to tackle both the 2025 and 2026 F1 seasons have emerged.

Ferrari are splitting their focus between the upcoming 2025 campaign and the first year of F1’s regulation overhaul in 2026, according to Italian publication AutoRacer.

AutoRacer report that new Ferrari technical director Loic Serra has “prepared a careful plan for the distribution of resources” within the team.

This plan involves selecting a group of engineers who will work exclusively on Ferrari’s 2026 project.

The rest of Ferrari’s technicians will focus on their 2025 challenger - the SF-25 - in wind tunnel sessions for at least the first four months of this year, with AutoRacer claiming that the “priority” in Maranello remains 2025 development.

AutoRacer’s report goes further, stating that Ferrari will “dedicate about 600 of their 900 wind tunnel hours to the SF-25”.

After the opening few months of 2025, Ferrari’s focus is expected to fully shift onto 2026.

Due to finishing runner-up in the constructors’ championship in 2024, Ferrari have 60 hours more wind tunnel time than champions McLaren, and 60 hours less than Red Bull.

Ferrari’s reported development plan aligns with team boss Fred Vasseur’s revelation that the team’s 2025 car will retain “less than on per cent” of the parts from its SF-24 predecessor.

“If it will be competitive, we’ll find out in Bahrain,” Vasseur told media at Ferrari’s annual pre-Christmas lunch in December.

“Sometimes you don’t realise you’re taking risks until afterward.

“The car will be completely new; I think we’ll have less than 1 per cent of the parts in common with the 2024 car.

“It’s a different project, but the same applies to everyone.”

Vasseur added: “We can’t say now if 2025 will be our year, but I trust the project we’re working on.

“It will still be an intense challenge like the one we just completed.

“I am very proud of how we tackled difficulties this year, but we must take another step toward consistency.”

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are expected to drive the SF-25 for the first time at Fiorano on 19 February. 

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