The first 2026 cars unveiled by Ferrari and Alpine are already highlighting clear technical trends under the new regulations, while also exposing meaningful conceptual differences between the two projects, according to F1 technical expert Mark Hughes.

Ferrari’s SF-26 confirmed several of the emerging design themes previously seen on Mercedes’ W17, launched a day earlier, but also revealed notable contrasts with both the German car and the Alpine A526, which completed its shakedown (an initial run designed to verify the car’s basic systems) at Silverstone while Ferrari were lapping Fiorano.

One of the most eye-catching shared details between Ferrari and Mercedes is a sizeable opening in the lower bodywork around the diffuser, allowing some airflow from the external surfaces to transfer to the diffuser’s inner wall. This concept echoes the pre-2022 mouse hole slots once used to energise diffuser airflow, although dimensional changes in the current regulations mean the openings are now significantly larger.

The aerodynamic principle remains the same: faster diffuser flow generates more downforce. However, unlike the 2022–25 ground-effect cars — where the diffuser performed best when completely sealed — the new regulations require teams to prevent the accelerated airflow from detaching. In this context, these openings act as the diffuser equivalent of a wing’s slot gap, helping to keep the flow attached.

A key reason for this challenge appears to be the newly regulated in-washing floor boards (floor elements that direct airflow inward) located ahead of the sidepods. While visually similar to the old bargeboards, their purpose is the opposite: to narrow the car’s aerodynamic wake and promote closer racing.

The downside is that introducing air already disturbed by the front wheels and suspension into the floor slows the underfloor flow, reducing downforce. Teams are therefore working hard to minimise how much of that airflow is actually ingested, using internal element alignment to redirect some of it outward again.

Ferrari have adopted a solution featuring a leading-edge tower on the floor board, followed by three lateral vanes (the maximum permitted), with the entire structure heavily stiffened by struts to prevent movement at high speed that could disrupt flow patterns. Mercedes, by contrast, use larger elements but without the leading tower.

Another notable contrast lies at the front of the car. Ferrari’s nose sits significantly lower and features much less undercut than Mercedes’, suggesting a reduced ability to feed large volumes of air to the floor. This is linked to the relative positioning of the cockpit and front axle, as closer spacing allows for a higher nose. Evidence suggests Mercedes have moved their cockpit slightly further forward than Ferrari and Red Bull.

Mechanically, Ferrari have made a major shift by adopting pushrod suspension (compression-actuated linkage) at both the front and rear, aligning with Mercedes, Red Bull and Racing Bulls after running pullrod suspension (tension-actuated linkage) at both ends in 2025. Alpine, meanwhile, have retained a front pullrod, a choice also made by Cadillac.

While suspension kinematics are largely unaffected by the choice, the decision between pushrod and pullrod strongly influences aerodynamic packaging. Pushrod front layouts appear to be favoured in 2026 because they clean up airflow in the lower region of the car, just before it feeds the new floor boards and floor. That said, Alpine clearly believe the pullrod still offers advantages within their overall concept.

At the rear, Ferrari have also moved away from pullrod. With the beam wing (lower rear wing element) removed by the regulations, keeping the suspension rockers low no longer delivers a clear aerodynamic benefit.

Ferrari have stressed that the car seen during the shakedown and in Barcelona will not be identical to the version set to appear in Bahrain testing, although fundamental parameters such as cockpit and axle positions are now fixed. As the new regulation era begins, how these concepts evolve promises to be one of the most intriguing technical storylines of the 2026 season.

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