Ferrari tipped for F1 'disaster' as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc split on 2026 car

F1 News & Gossip

Ferrari tipped for 'disaster' as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc split on 2026 car

Ralf Schumacher is not hearing positive things about Ferrari's 2026 preparations

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Sunday 18 January 2026 20:26

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Ferrari have been tipped to be the team heading for 'disaster' in 2026 according to former F1 star Ralf Schumacher.

The brother of seven-time champion and Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher also competed in the pinnacle of motorsport between 1997 and 2007, picking up six grand prix victories of his own in that time.

Nowadays, the German racer can be found in the paddock and online with Sky Germany, dissecting the sport’s hottest topics in his role as a pundit.

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In his first podcast of the year with Sky co-host Peter Hardenacke, Schumacher discussed the 'chaos' rumoured to be unfolding at the Scuderia, claiming that their F1 driver duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are divided when it comes to their 2026 challenger.

The sound of the SF-26 was unveiled on social media this week as the first fire up of their new machinery was unleashed.

Hamilton appeared to be all smiles in the garage then, but will the seven-time champion be happy with the car underneath him when it comes to the Ferrari shakedown at Fiorano on January 23?

Schumacher: Ferrari rumours are 'anything but good'

Speaking on a recent episode of the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast, Schumacher assessed how the competitive order could play out under F1's new regulations cycle.

But his predictions for the upcoming season don't bode well for Ferrari, who Schumacher believes are heading for another disaster campaign.

Following unconfirmed rumours of a technical setback in Maranello, Schumacher admitted he felt Ferrari were unlikely to have a positive start to 2026, admitting that was the impression that 'stood out the most' to him of all the rumours surrounding the teams' 2026 progress.

“And disaster, as we can already read between the lines, seems to be Ferrari again," the 50-year-old declared.

Schumacher then claimed the Italian outfit are effectively building two different cars to cater to the drastic difference in opinions between Hamilton and Leclerc. “So, two cars are being developed," he continued.

"I can almost imagine why, because Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have completely different opinions about the car.

“If that's the case, then it's a disaster from the outset, as I've always said, because you can't develop two cars... and Fred Vasseur has also said so.

“So that seems to be anything but good,” Schumacher concluded.

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 2026 regulations Fred Vasseur Ralf Schumacher