Ferrari will continue developing its 2026 Formula 1 car until the end of the season, team principal Fred Vasseur has confirmed, dismissing suggestions that cost-cap restrictions could force the team to reduce its upgrade rate.
The team has introduced a steady stream of incremental updates for its SF-26, helping Ferrari remain second in the constructors’ championship and enabling both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to win a grand prix this season.
Ferrari’s development programme will continue at its home race in Monza this weekend. The team is expected to bring smaller aerodynamic improvements, along with its second engine update following the latest ADUO ranking.
Ferrari maintains its 2026 F1 upgrade plan
The performance gap between teams has narrowed significantly, particularly at circuits where the 2026 power units have less influence. Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari were separated by just one tenth of a second in sprint qualifying at Zandvoort, while three tenths has regularly been the difference between pole position and the third row of the grid.
Teams that can continue adding performance late in the season therefore retain an opportunity to make substantial progress in the championship. However, they must balance wind-tunnel development with cost-cap restrictions and the resources needed for the 2027 car project.
Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Ferrari chief Vasseur said the Scuderia had no concerns about the cost cap and would continue its aggressive development programme.
“The strategy is that we will continue to push until the end,” Vasseur said. “We have a plan. We have no issue with the cost cap, we are following the plan and will continue like this.
“It’s true that you have different strategies. You have McLaren coming each three or four races with a big package on the car, and we are more trying to bring upgrades each race but much smaller. But at the end, in terms of cost, it’s the same.
“What is challenging, probably, is that we are still developing with 11 races to go, and I think a crash like Max [Verstappen] in Zandvoort is huge in terms of cost cap [for Red Bull]. It’s difficult to anticipate the number of crashes that you could have until the end of the season.”
Ferrari explains its frequent smaller upgrades
Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull have all introduced significant updates this season, while Mercedes has fallen behind in development. Mercedes’ next major package is scheduled for October’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, with rival teams having closed the gap in recent weeks and months.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said the team “hasn’t got the money to put developments on the car” beyond its current plans. However, he also suggested Ferrari and other rivals could eventually have to slow their development after bringing so many new parts to the track.
Vasseur declined to assess Mercedes’ strategy without a full understanding of its approach. He did, however, explain how Ferrari has efficiently delivered such a high number of upgrades.
“I don’t want to speak about Mercedes because I don’t understand, but with McLaren it’s a bit linked to how you develop in the wind tunnel and the capacity of production,” the Frenchman said. “We found our best approach by almost bringing upgrades each race. One week it’s mechanical, one week it’s aero, and we are continuing like this. It’s fitting with our capacity of production, with our wind tunnel capacity, and it’s going well.
“Now, if McLaren want to do things differently, it’s because they have good reasons to do it. The set-up of the teams is different; the configuration is different. But at the end of the day, over a season we are almost following each other in terms of development.”
