Ferrari Named F1 Team Under Most Pressure for 2026

A new poll of F1 fans has delivered a clear verdict: Ferrari is the team under the most immense pressure to perform ahead of the pivotal 2026 season. This overwhelming sentiment comes on the heels of a catastrophic 2024 campaign that saw the Scuderia fall from championship contenders to a distant fourth, failing to secure a single grand prix victory despite the high-profile arrival of Lewis Hamilton.

Why it matters:

The 2026 regulations represent a fundamental reset for Formula 1, offering a rare chance for teams to close the gap to the front-runners. For Ferrari, a team with a storied history but a title drought stretching back to 2008, this is a critical moment. The immense pressure reflects the weight of expectation on Fred Vasseur's leadership and the blockbuster Hamilton-Charles Leclerc driver pairing to finally deliver a car capable of fighting for championships.

The details:

• According to a RacingNews365 poll, nearly 47% of fans identified Ferrari as the team facing the most scrutiny, a margin of over 30 percentage points more than the next team, McLaren.
• The 2024 season was a steep decline from 2023, where Ferrari finished a close second in the Constructors' Championship, sparking high hopes for a title challenge.
• The team's struggles were highlighted by Lewis Hamilton's first-ever podiumless season in his 19-year F1 career, a massive disappointment following his move from Mercedes.
• In contrast, Charles Leclerc managed to secure seven podiums, often outperforming the car and serving as one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak year.
• The SF-24 was widely considered a step backward from its predecessor, failing to build on the momentum gained at the end of the 2023 season.

What's next:

With the entire grid set to design new cars around revamped regulations and new power units, Ferrari has a clean slate to address its chronic issues. The focus at Maranello is now squarely on delivering a competitive package for 2026. Failure to do so would not only be another missed opportunity but could also trigger significant questions about the team's direction and its ability to capitalize on one of the biggest regulatory shake-ups in the sport's history.