Ferrari's 2026 launch marred by PR blunders and shakedown scare

Ferrari's pre-season preparations for the 2026 campaign have been hit by embarrassing operational errors and on-track drama. The team mistakenly released images of the previous year's car during their launch, while Lewis Hamilton's shakedown run at Fiorano ended with a stoppage that sparked fears of a technical issue.

Why it matters:

Operational excellence is just as critical as raw speed in Formula 1, and these early missteps suggest internal disarray at Maranello. With the team already under pressure from chairman John Elkann to end a title drought dating back to 2007, these errors undermine confidence in the team's ability to manage a high-stakes season with new star signing Lewis Hamilton.

The details:

• Launch Error: The media release for the SF-26 featured images of the 2025 car, which failed to win a race last season. The accompanying text also contained factual errors regarding the car's designation and regulatory context.
• Staffing Confusion: Just days after confirming to GPblog that Riccardo Adami would stay as Hamilton's race engineer, Ferrari announced he would be replaced. This follows the recent departure of communications chief Silvia Hoffer Frangipane.
• Shakedown Scare: Video footage showed Hamilton stopping on track during the Fiorano shakedown. While this looked like a breakdown, insiders insist it was merely a measure to strictly adhere to mileage limits rather than a technical failure.
• Customer Competition: Ferrari was even upstaged by customer team Cadillac, who posted their engine sound on social media before the manufacturer could showcase their own power unit.

What's next:

Ferrari needs to move quickly from off-track chaos to on-track performance. The team will hope these teething issues are merely embarrassing distractions rather than symptoms of deeper organizational problems as they head into the new season.