Formula 1 teams entered a five-week break after the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix due to Middle East conflict. Ferrari chassis technical director Loic Serra stated that the Scuderia's long-term development plans remain unchanged. He noted that missing two races has only a minor impact on progress ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
Ferrari continues its car development work uninterrupted during the enforced pause in the Formula 1 calendar. Loic Serra, the team's chassis technical director, explained that development follows a predefined long-term plan unaffected by the absence of races. 'Your development plan is not happening in one week or one month, it's something you have for quite a long time,' Serra said in an interview with Motorsport.com. The SF-26 car began development at the start of 2025, and Serra described the missed races as a 'small' interruption in the broader context of winter testing and virtual simulations. Teams prepare upgrades for Miami while eyeing changes to 2026 regulations from the FIA. Serra acknowledged that less track time temporarily freezes data correlation between simulators and real-world performance, particularly missing Jeddah data, though Bahrain testing provided valuable insights. However, this does not halt factory work or alter the approach to updates, which remain incremental and planned rather than rushed or experimental. Development spans the full car as a compromise, with no isolated areas prioritized. On potential 2026 rule tweaks, Serra stressed careful reactions to avoid hasty decisions that could limit future options. Ferrari segregates short-term race analysis from medium-term projects to prevent urgency from overshadowing long-term goals. Serra refused to quantify staff allocation but emphasized the need for separation to maintain balance.
