The Ferrari SF-26, also known by its internal name Project 678, is a Formula One car constructed by Scuderia Ferrari to compete in the 2026 Formula One World Championship. It is currently being driven by Charles Leclerc and seven-time World Drivers' Champion Lewis Hamilton in their eighth and second season with Ferrari, respectively. As of the 2026 British Grand Prix, this car has achieved eight Grand Prix podiums (plus four sprint podiums), two Grand Prix victories (Hamilton in Barcelona and Leclerc in Great Britain), one Grand Prix fastest lap and one sprint fastest lap.

Characteristics

Development

Codenamed Project 678,[1] the SF-26 is the first Ferrari car to be created under the 2026 Formula One regulations, and therefore the car features significant changes from its predecessor, the SF-25, which was unsuccessful.[2] Developed under the leadership of Loïc Serra (Chassis Technical Director) and Enrico Gualtieri (Power Unit Technical Director),[3] the SF-26 was first unveiled on the 23 January 2026 during a shakedown at the Fiorano Circuit, showing its new push-rod suspension and manual override mode.[4][5][6] The SF-26 made its debut at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.[7]

Modifications

Pre-season testing

For the final pre-season test at Bahrain International Circuit, the team unveiled a unique rear exhaust wing design that could help divert exhaust gases and act as an extension of the diffuser airflow.[8] The team had been running a "spec A" version of the car prior to this change.[9] The following day, the team unveiled a radical rear wing design that rotates upside down when active aerodynamics are enabled. The team reverted to a conventional rear wing for the evening.[10]

Mid-season upgrades

For the Miami Grand Prix, Ferrari debuted eleven upgrades to the car, the most out of all the teams bringing upgrades that weekend. Modified components included the floor, floor edge, diffuser, rear wing, both endplates and front and rear suspension fairings[11] Ferrari stated that the new front-end updates would bring flow feature stability and front wheel wake management, while the rear-end was developed with load increase in mind while increasing efficiency for the diffuser's pressure gradient. The resulting upstream flow would in turn help optimise the front floor's geometry and devices. Prior to the weekend, some parts of the package had been trialled at a filming day at Monza.[12]

Livery

The SF-26 race livery was shown for the first time on 23 January 2026. The livery returns to a glossy lighter red finish, last used in 2018 on the SF71H, and a larger usage of white surrounding the airbox and engine cover reflecting the teams usage of white accents in the past.[13][14]

Competition and development history

The SF-26 debuted at a pre-season shakedown in Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where Hamilton set the fastest time in the five-day test.[15] It then observed its official debut at the pre-season test at Bahrain International Circuit.[citation needed]

Opening rounds

The SF-26 made its competitive debut at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix. Leclerc and Hamilton qualified in fourth and seventh, respectively. Ferrari's race starts were already observed during the pre-season test at Bahrain to be faster than other teams', which translated into Leclerc launching into the lead at the first turn against George Russell (Mercedes). He battled against Russell during the opening stages of the race, though a virtual safety car was called out for another driver's retirement. The team chose to stay out, giving Mercedes, who pitted their drivers, a tyre advantage. Ultimately Leclerc and Hamilton finished third and fourth, respectively.[citation needed]

Complete Formula One results

Key
Key
ColourResult
GoldWinner
SilverSecond place
BronzeThird place
GreenOther points position
Blue Other classified position
Not classified, finished (NC)
PurpleNot classified, retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
BlackDisqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Excluded (EX)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Withdrawn (WD)
Did not enter (empty cell)
Annotation Meaning
P Pole position
F Fastest lap
Superscript
number		 Points-scoring position
in sprint
Year Entrant Power unit Tyres Driver name Grands Prix Points WCC pos.
AUS CHN JPN MIA CAN MON BCN AUT GBR BEL HUN NED ITA ESP AZE SIN USA MXC SAP LVG QAT ABU
2026 Scuderia Ferrari HP Ferrari 067/6 P Monaco Charles Leclerc 3 42 Race: 4; Sprint: 2 3 83 Race: 8; Sprint: 3 45 Race: 4; Sprint: 5 Ret 15† 8 15 Race: 1; Sprint: 5 255* 2nd*
United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton 4 33 Race: 3; Sprint: 3 6 67 Race: 6; Sprint: 7 26 Race: 2; Sprint: 6 2 1F 5 32 Race: 3; Sprint: 2

* Season still in progress.

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Jack (4 November 2025). "How Ferrari’s recent upswing has lessened the planned radical changes to its 2026 F1 car". Motorsport Week. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  2. ↑ "First look: Ferrari reveal new SF-26 car for 2026 F1 season". Formula1.com. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  3. ↑ "Ferrari following 'complete rethink of car's architecture' with SF-26". Motorsport Technology. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  4. ↑ "Ferrari's new SF-26 hits the track at Fiorano". Formula1.com. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  5. ↑ Mitchell-Malm, Scott (23 January 2026). "What really happened with Ferrari's shakedown stoppage". The Race. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  6. ↑ D'Agosta, Alex (23 January 2026). "Ferrari SF-26, year zero: Maranello starts again with a new Formula 1". Il Sole 24 Ore. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  7. ↑ "Ferrari SF-26 reveal: Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc's 2026 car launched as Italian team look for improved season". Sky Sports. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  8. ↑ Noble, Jon (18 February 2026). "Ferrari debuts unique exhaust wing at final Bahrain test". The Race. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  9. ↑ Noble, Jon; Straw, Ed (18 December 2025). "Ferrari reveals its 'spec A' plan for 2026 F1 car's debut". The Race. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  10. ↑ Noble, Jon (19 February 2026). "What we know about Ferrari's radical 'upside-down' wing". The Race. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  11. ↑ Mitchell-Malm, Scott (1 May 2026). "Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull reveal major Miami upgrades". The Race. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  12. ↑ Cooper, Adam (1 May 2026). "Extensive Ferrari updates revealed ahead of F1 Miami Grand Prix as it looks to close down Mercedes". Crash.net. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  13. ↑ "SF-26, The New 2026 Ferrari Single-Seater". Ferrari.com. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  14. ↑ Masefield, Fraser (23 January 2026). "Scuderia Ferrari unveils retro SF-26 car livery for 2026 F1 season". Motorsport Technology. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  15. ↑ Saunders, Nate (30 January 2026). "Lewis Hamilton finishes F1 testing on top for Ferrari, McLaren also show progress in Barcelona". ESPN. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_SF-26