Ferrari F1 chief reaches breaking point over FIA rule change

Photo: © IMAGO

Ferrari

Ferrari F1 chief reaches breaking point over FIA rule change

The starting procedure has already been changed

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 19 March 2026 09:12

Ferrari F1 chief Fred Vasseur has said 'enough is enough' when it comes to a certain FIA rule tweak for 2026.

Following the implementation of the wholesale regulation changes this year, the new power units in the back of the new cars do not seem to be as able to get off the line as the previous cars.

This has made race starts particularly hard for drivers, with Max Verstappen struggling at both race weekends so far, while Ferrari appear to have built a power unit that can get the turbo spooled up better at the start of races than some of their rivals.

Article continues under video

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have benefitted from brilliant starts so far in 2026, immediately putting the dominant Mercedes team under pressure at the start of races.

Ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, it was announced that a new five-second 'pre-start procedure' would be in place which would give the drivers extra time to get their turbos spooled up, but this hasn't detracted too much from Ferrari's lightning fast starts.

It was revealed before the season that Ferrari had told the FIA over a year ago that starts could be hard with the new power units, and built their own turbo with this in mind.

But at the Chinese GP, Mercedes driver George Russell called for more changes to the starting procedure, calling Ferrari 'selfish' for not wanting extra changes to the rules which he believed should be made for safety reasons.

Now, Vasseur has fumed at the thought of more changes being implemented, reiterating the fact that he and his Ferrari team had raised this issue quite some time ago.

"We already changed massively the rule of the start with the five-second story," he told media at the Chinese Grand Prix.

"One year ago, I went to the FIA. I raised the hand on the starting procedure to say 'guys it will be difficult'. The reply was clear that we have to design the car fitting with the regulation and not to change the regulation fitting with the car.

"We designed the car fitting with the regulation, the change of the five seconds, the blue light story, didn't help us at all, but I think at one stage enough is enough."

Can Ferrari close the gap to Mercedes?

Ferrari will be looking to close the gap to the dominant Mercedes team throughout the 2026 season, and they will hope that Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton can pinch the odd race victory this year, before mounting a real challenge for a world championship next year.

The main way that is looking likely to happen this year is through the race starts, which have allowed Ferrari to get one of the cars among the fight at the front early on in the races.

Vasseur and his team need to get their car development right throughout the season and focus on the right areas in order to give Hamilton and Leclerc a real fighting chance against the Mercedes drivers as the season progresses, and their rivals naturally get better at mastering the race starts.

It's been a good start to the season for the Maranello-based outfit, but Vasseur will ultimately be judged on whether he can bring a first title to Ferrari for the first time since 2008 in the coming years.

F1 Ferrari FIA 2026 regulations