Work on the 2026 Ferrari is entering final stages as Maranello aims to turn a historic weakness into a strength: Loic Serra’s plan
The development of the 2026 Ferrari is approaching its final stages, with Maranello concentrating on transforming a historic weakness into a competitive advantage that can endure throughout the new regulations cycle. The technical leadership of Loic Serra is putting significant focus on both the suspension system and the chassis to ensure that the 2026 Ferrari has a solid foundation for the upcoming season.
In recent months, it has become clear that the 678 will feature push-rod suspension on both the front and rear, whereas the SF-25 used a double pull-rod setup. Loic Serra has also leveraged data gathered from the updated rear-end mechanics, which debuted at the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa, to understand what mistakes must be avoided in 2026. Much of the development is centered on the chassis, which has already passed the FIA homologation crash tests. The Technical Director, together with Frédéric Vasseur, Diego Tondi, and Enrico Gualtieri, are among the few who have complete knowledge of the new car. The information is tightly controlled and less accessible. With the next regulatory cycle, Ferrari hopes to return to the front, turning a historical vulnerability into a strength.
Loic Serra focuses on tire-vehicle interaction, Ferrari seeks to understand Pirelli’s 2026 compounds
Following the tests in Abu Dhabi, Loic Serra was able to collect additional data on the 2026 Pirelli tire compounds. The Scuderia successfully ran a system on track, equipped with actuators to open the front wing and simulate active aerodynamics. As a specialist in vehicle dynamics, the Technical Director is conducting extensive work on the suspension and prioritizing a deep understanding of how the tires behave. According to the Italian media, “Ferrari has collected extensive information on how much heat the tire absorbs and dissipates under specific conditions. This data is crucial for refining the mathematical tire model.” These insights are essential, allowing the team to update and calibrate the car within the simulator. In Maranello, tire usage is at the center of their development strategy.
The team aims to understand the exact conditions in which the tire generates maximum grip. This involves not only thermal behavior but also mechanical loads, including combined actions such as braking while turning the steering wheel, as highlighted by the Italian press. Of course, the experimental SF-25 can only approximate these conditions and cannot replicate them perfectly, but the information is extremely useful. Loic Serra and his engineers will study these findings carefully to improve correlation between the simulator and the actual car performance.
By focusing on these critical areas, Ferrari hopes to turn one of its historic weaknesses into a long-lasting strength, giving the 2026 car the potential to compete at the top of the grid and maintain performance consistency across the new rules cycle.
If Ferrari finally nails the chassis-suspension-tyre package that has eluded them for so long, 2026 could mark the start of something very special in red.
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