Ferrari is arguably the greatest and most storied team in Formula 1 history, a name that has inspired generations of drivers to dream of one day racing for the Scuderia. Yet for all its legend, Maranello has spent years failing to convert that legacy into championship hardware, as younger rivals like Mercedes and Red Bull have claimed the vast majority of recent titles.

In recent seasons, fleeting opportunities to challenge for glory have emerged — most notably with Sebastian Vettel in 2019 and with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in the 2024 Constructors' Championship fight. It is precisely why every win and every pole position still ignites a fire of passion unlike anything else in the paddock.

The arrival of Lewis Hamilton was supposed to be the catalyst that finally elevated Ferrari back to the summit of the sport. Instead, 2025 turned into a profound disappointment for both driver and team, with retirement even surfacing as a genuine conversation around the seven-time world champion.

Now in 2026, the outlook appears more promising for the Scuderia, though Hamilton's vocal criticism of the new regulations has tempered some of the enthusiasm back in Italy.

While Mercedes has established itself as the dominant force in this championship, Ferrari has emerged as the closest challenger. Speaking to Motorsport, Diego Loverno, a member of Ferrari's sporting management, offered a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse.

"In the first three races, there wasn't a single one where the same 27 crew members who performed the pit stops were identical across every position. So this break has been invaluable — it allowed us to recover almost all of the training sessions we weren't able to complete in January and February."

"Since we returned, every day the guys have been running a session split into three phases with three different crew rotations — a direct projection of what will happen in Miami, Canada, Monaco, and Barcelona. After those sessions, it becomes pure repetition training, because while we rotate teams and change drivers with every race, the reality is that at this point, we've made the decision to work with ten gunmen. All ten have been trained."

"That's why a large part of the early season was dedicated to working on slightly different techniques — both in terms of grip and the shoulder and leg movements involved in fitting and removing tires. The same kind of work was essential for the gunmen, especially at the rear. At the front, changes were more limited since the nut was already exposed."