How Fred Vasseur Is Challenging Ferrari to Take More Risks

Ferrari’s 2026 Formula 1 car, the SF-26, has emerged as one of the grid’s most innovative designs after debuting several striking aerodynamic solutions during winter testing in Bahrain.

The car featured an unusual vane behind the exhaust pipe on the opening day, internally known as FTM. One day later, Ferrari introduced an even more eye-catching rear wing that rotated 180 degrees between cornering and straight-line modes. The design was quickly nicknamed the “Macarena wing.”

Ferrari leads F1 innovation with SF-26

The exhaust wing and upside-down rear wing are only the most visible examples of Ferrari’s technical innovation. While both elements have had a relatively minor performance impact, their unusual appearance attracted significant attention and highlighted a Ferrari team increasingly willing to lead rather than follow its rivals.

Red Bull and McLaren have since introduced their own versions of the upside-down rear wing. Red Bull is believed to have developed its solution independently of Ferrari, while McLaren began work on its design after recognising the opportunity created by Ferrari’s concept.

Ferrari’s exhaust wing has also been widely copied, although rival teams have reportedly struggled to replicate it as effectively. Ferrari made specific rear-end design choices to accommodate the system, making the FTM difficult to reverse-engineer.

Ferrari’s innovative 2026 car is the result of a deliberate cultural shift led by team principal Fred Vasseur. Since joining the team at the start of 2023, Vasseur has focused on reducing blame culture at Maranello and encouraging engineers to take greater risks.

In an interview with Motorsport.com, Vasseur said Ferrari needed a change in mentality across every area of the team, not only aerodynamic design. In Formula 1, small performance gains can accumulate quickly, particularly as the field becomes more closely matched. Those margins can determine whether a driver starts from the front row or qualifies sixth.

“It’s true that from day one I had the feeling that we have to take more risks,” Vasseur explained. “More risk on track, more risk on the innovation, on the development to take a different direction compared to the others, not to follow the others.”

Ferrari’s willingness to take risks has not always produced the desired result. The team’s design choices, car set-up decisions and race strategies have occasionally taken it in the wrong direction. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have both won a grand prix this year in a more competitive Ferrari, but Vasseur believes the team’s decision-making will improve as it continues to adopt a bolder approach.

“Sometimes it’s paying off, sometimes it’s not,” he said. “When you are a bit aggressive on strategy, sometimes you are a genius, like in Barcelona, and sometimes not, but we are the same guys on the pitwall.

“I think we need to develop this mentality because you are improving on taking risks. You will improve in the risk assessment. You will improve in the capacity to make decisions, it means that we have to continue to do so, and we will do better and better race after race.”

Cost cap raises the stakes for technical risks

Changing an established company culture takes time, which explains why the process has remained a major focus for Vasseur. Innovation also carries significant risks under Formula 1’s cost cap and development restrictions, as teams cannot simply invest unlimited money in experimental ideas.

“I’m very pleased with what we did in terms of options of development, because with the cost cap, when you are taking this direction, if it’s not paying off, it’s negative,” Vasseur explained. “It’s not that if it’s not paying off, it’s [just] a shame. You are putting your money, you are betting on something.”

Vasseur said he was “more than keen” for Ferrari to continue leading Formula 1’s development race. He believes the team’s changing culture is giving engineers the confidence to innovate instead of playing safe because they fear the consequences of failure.

“It was important for the guys in the team to feel the support from the company when they were innovating,” the Frenchman said. “I hope it’s only the start of this process, and that we will be able to continue to have the same approach and the same dynamic.

“We will have a convergence of directions that we are taking, because one of the favourite parts of F1 is also to copy the others. But if we can stay one step ahead and lead the pack on some topics on some projects, I am more than keen.

“For sure it will be more and more difficult, but it will be the same challenge for everybody.”