The first Ferrari of the new group led by Loic Serra
The new regulatory cycle of Formula 1 coincides with the full takeover of the aerodynamic and chassis part of Ferrari by the new technical director Loic Serra, who replaced Enrico Cardile already in the design of the 2025 car, when however some of the choices had already been largely directed. The SF-26 is therefore the first Ferrari single-seater that can truly be considered an expression of the new course and it is clear to everyone how some engineering and design choices have been taken as a reference by other teams: from the FTM winglet positioned on the exhaust and already banned for the next World Championship to the much-debated inverted movable rear wing, called Macarena, the team led by the French engineer has shown that it knows how to innovate and surprise.
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Ferrari unafraid to innovate
“The adoption of a new regulation – explains technical director Loic Serra, interviewed by Alessandro Gargantini on Autosprint – leaves, at least in the initial phases, a greater margin of initiative before, at the end of a regulatory cycle, the technical aspect tends to plateau. Ferrari copied at this stage? More than for me, I am happy for the people who had the ideas that we then developed. A virtuous circle has been created internally which is very important along the entire development and production chain. I don’t want to take credit, teamwork is the best thing about this job. However, I wouldn’t say that, compared to the recent past, the team has changed its approach. All teams, in fact, I believe can only work in these terms”.
However, comparisons with the past are forbidden, also considering that the verdicts of this championship are still partial: “We are only halfway through the season now, I wouldn’t make comparisons but rather wait to see where we will be at the end of the year. We knew we would have to make a car with a wide margin for development this year since there is a new regulation. And now we are still in the development situation, so everything is very dynamic, there is still a lot to discover and we must continue to have an open mind and a lot of curiosity in understanding how to constantly improve the car. My decisive presence in the team? Honestly, I don’t think it’s the individual people who make the difference and this also applies in my case. I don’t think anything can be specifically attributed to me… We work, win and lose as a team, which prevails over individuality”.
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No comparisons with the past
“Two wins in 2026 – adds Loic Serra – against zero last season? Yes, but I repeat that the two things cannot be compared because everything is relative. Wins are not a factor we directly control, but we weigh the effectiveness of what we bring in terms of developments. We are the measure of our work. However, it is very positive that the SF-26 has proven to be winning with both drivers. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are different in the way they express and communicate, but very often the inputs we get from them are the same. When Ferrari brings a development to the track, both then improve”.
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