Photo by Jonathan Borba: https://www.pexels.com/photo/rainy-formula-1-race-at-interlagos-circuit-29276547/
As Formula 1 moves toward a new season and a fresh set of regulations, reports suggest Ferrari will prioritize mileage and reliability over outright performance as it prepares for 2026.
So before Ferrari can even think about extracting the full performance of its car during testing, it must first answer a more basic question: does the car work as intended over meaningful distances? In the context of the 2026 regulations, that question is far more complex than it sounds.
The Scale of the F1 2026 Reset Changes Everything
The 2026 rules are not an evolution but a clean-sheet rewrite. While the headline still reads “1.6-litre V6 turbo,” almost everything beneath that label has changed. The power unit architecture, energy usage, aerodynamics, weight targets, the removal of DRS, and even the way the car behaves from corner to corner will be fundamentally different from anything teams have raced before.
And yes, this makes reliability the first real performance metric. A car that cannot run consistently cannot generate data, and without data, development stalls immediately. Ferrari understands that being fast for five laps means very little if the car cannot complete race simulations without interruption.
A Power Unit That Is New in All the Ways That Matter
So what really changes is not the V6 itself, but the philosophy behind it. The old balance, where the internal combustion engine did most of the work and the hybrid system played a supporting role, is gone. For 2026, electrical power will contribute half of the total output, completely reshaping how the power unit is designed and used.
For the 2026 season, the MGU-H is removed while the MGU-K remains, and that shift alone introduces enormous complexity. The MGU-K output is dramatically increased, energy harvesting becomes far more aggressive, and deployment must be carefully managed across an entire lap. On long straights, the risk of electrical depletion, often referred to as clipping, becomes a genuine performance and drivability concern.
Ferrari’s Willingness to Take Risks Makes Mileage Even More Critical
According to reports, Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur has confirmed that Ferrari will focus more on mileage than pure performance. But what does that really mean, and why is it their main priority?
So when almost everything changes, you have to be prepared. Revolutionary designs often only show their weaknesses after running for a long time.
Heat cycles, vibration patterns, electrical instability, and similar issues rarely appear in short performance runs. Mileage is the only way to uncover these problems early, while there is still time to fix them.
In this sense, Ferrari’s focus on mileage is not defensive but proactive. The team is deliberately running the car for long periods to find its limits now, rather than discovering them during a race weekend.
Aerodynamics That Behave Differently Than Any Ferrari Before
Chassis changes are no less challenging for 2026. The cars are lighter, narrower, and heavily rely on active aerodynamics. Movable front and rear wings are designed to reduce drag on straights and generate downforce in corners, fundamentally changing how the car balances on track.
This creates a new interaction between mechanical grip, aerodynamic load, and energy deployment. A car might feel stable in one mode but unpredictable in another. Long runs are essential to see how these systems interact over time, with changing fuel loads and tire degradation. One fast lap cannot show whether the car stays predictable after thirty consecutive laps.
Why Achieving Mileage Is Harder Than Ever
After such drastic changes, every team is essentially starting from scratch. A cooling issue can trigger an electrical fault, which then affects energy deployment, and that in turn can alter aerodynamic balance. Ferrari is focusing on mileage to understand these chains of cause and effect before they get out of control, but this challenge isn’t unique to them; it’s new for everyone on the grid.
Time is short with the season starting in just two months, and private testing opportunities are limited. Once the season begins, there is very little room for major redesigns, so discovering a fundamental flaw too late could compromise the entire year.
👉 F1 2026 Explained: Smaller Cars, New Engines, Big Changes
Learning Before Optimizing
Early testing is learning phase for everyone on the grid and the goal to understand the reality of the car, not the theory behind it. Engineers want to know whether their fundamental assumptions were correct, whether energy deployment matches expectations and whether the car behaves consistently across conditions.
This time, testing will be more about learning and racking up as much mileage as possible. I don’t think Ferrari will chase lap times before understanding the car’s reliability, as they want to avoid risks and prevent wasting valuable development time.
Lessons Ferrari Has Already Learned the Hard Way
It’s been two decades since Ferrari last won the championship, and history plays a role in their approach. With two strong drivers on the team, lost mileage in previous seasons has repeatedly hurt their ability to develop efficiently. In a stable rule set, setbacks can be repaired, but in this new era, falling behind early could be fatal and put the entire season at risk.
The team is determined not to enter 2026 already on the back foot. A reliable car that runs consistently provides a stronger platform for upgrades than a fast but fragile one.
Mileage as the Foundation of Performance
As we head into the new season, Ferrari’s testing philosophy seems to reflect a broader truth about the 2026 era.
I think this season will not be won by whoever is fastest on day one. It will be won by the team that learns fastest, adapts quickest, and builds the most reliable foundation.
And this season, we have two new entrants in F1: Audi and Cadillac. Can they fight at the front? Who knows, we’ll have to wait and see.
That’s why mileage is the currency of this process. I think everyone will be focused on it, because without data, there is no development.
I think Ferrari is not ignoring performance, but they are putting it on hold for now because of the new regulations. In this new F1 landscape, reliability is not the opposite of speed, it is the foundation for it.
This article is an original piece of research and analysis compiled specifically for CarsRave.com. To provide the most accurate outlook for the 2026 season, we have synthesized information from various trusted paddock reports and official statements, including those from Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur. Our goal is to bring you deep technical insights that go beyond the headlines.
