Ferrari 'problems' developing over F1 2026 as surprise team 'most advanced'

Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari race suit in the Ferrari garage — Photo: © IMAGO

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Ferrari 'problems' developing over F1 2026 as surprise team 'most advanced'

A little known factor could determine the F1 pecking order in 2026

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 13 December 2025 21:25

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Ferrari's hopes of becoming a championship challenging outfit in 2026 may be in jeopardy if a recent F1 rumour is proven true.

Much has been written and debated about Ferrari's nightmare 2025 season, a year that has reduced even the mighty Lewis Hamilton to speechless disappointment on many occasions.

All hope of a return to the top hinges on 2026 and the new regulations, with it clear another year like 2025 is unacceptable.

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Next season however, F1 will undergo its biggest upheaval due to the brand new rule set, and one of the major talking points has been the new engines (a 50-50 split between electric and the internal combustion engine).

F1 has also waved goodbye to DRS and next year will greet active aerodynamics in the latest bid to improve racing.

However, one of the 2026 changes that has gone somewhat under the radar, is that each F1 team will have to run on 100 per cent sustainable fuel as F1 nears towards net-zero carbon in 2030.

Rather than all using the same fuel, F1 teams tend to have different suppliers such as Mercedes and Petronas, Aston Martin and Aramco or Ferrari and Shell.

However, fuel could be another factor that helps determine the pecking order in 2026, established as a key performance differentiator.

Can MotoGP learn from F1 regulation changes?

F1 will bring these fuel changes a year before motorcycle championship MotoGP, who will also run on synthetic fuels from the 2027 season onwards.

The technology remains underdeveloped however, which means there could be a bigger difference between suppliers, i.e. Shell and Aramco, than we are accustomed to. This essentially suggests that the different fuels used by teams could have an impact on those final stopwatch times.

According to Motorpasion Moto, having the brand with the most advanced fuel will be a key advantage for F1 teams next season.

They continue that Ferrari's supplier Shell, is struggling at the moment and that Aston Martin's Aramco is the most developed synthetic fuel.

Reportedly Shell have opted for a different technique that is causing them problems, not only a concern for Ferrari F1 but also Ducati in MotoGP, who have a partnership with Shell until 2027.

Ducati's Marc Marquez's future is undecided for 2027 and beyond, with the seven-time title holder's negotiations paused for now.

Whether Shell's synthetic fuel is a disaster for both Ferrari and Ducati remains to be seen, but the latter will certainly be keeping an eye on F1 and their 2026 regulations to see how the new technology develops.

F1 teams are aware of this challenge with the new fuel, but see it as part of the wider difficulties of the new rule set.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, said: "The biggest challenge is probably that we are starting from scratch on everything-new tyres, new fuel, new engine, new chassis, new sporting regulations-new everything.

"It's quite challenging. But somehow, it's also the DNA of our sport to have this kind of challenge. Don't complain too early about the show. We'll see next year what the situation is."