F1 chief Stefano Domenicali wants 'strong' Ferrari in 2026 season and says team must 'have a plan'

Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali says Ferrari "need to have a plan" and the "right energy" for the new 2026 F1 season.

Last year, Ferrari suffered their worst season since 2025 with no wins and fourth in the Constructors' Championship as Lewis Hamilton failed to finish on the podium in his first campaign in red.

Charles Leclerc managed to take a shock pole at the Hungarian Grand Prix with seven other podiums and admitted "it's now or never" for Ferrari to deliver a championship-winning car.

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Domenicali, who was Ferrari team principal from 2008 to 2014, told Sky Sports News: "I'm a positive guy. There's no need to cry, there's no need to always be negative. They need to have a plan.

"I'm sure Fred [Vasseur], Lewis and Charles have a plan and that's what is important. I think it's important to react, not to fade away and for it to be normal to be fourth in the championship.

"We want to have strong Ferrari. They deserve to be in a stronger position. They need to make sure that there is the right energy and the right thing to follow up, because in 2026, everyone is talking, but no one knows where they are.

"If you saw what happened last year everyone was already knowing what was happening in the future, stay tuned because every race there will be an evolution."

Domenicali: I told Lando to keep smiling

Lando Norris will enter the new season, which begins with the Australian Grand Prix on March 6-8, as defending champion but there could be a shakeup in the pecking order due to new technical regulations.

As a result of the rules overhaul, there are three pre-season tests in Barcelona from January 26-30, Bahrain from February 11-13 and another Bahrain test from February 18-20.

Norris has the opportunity to become the first British driver to defend their world title after their maiden championship-winning campaign.

Domenicali said: "He's very positive, younger, energetic with his personality, that is different from the others. I think that he needs to keep one thing, that I always said to him - keep smiling.

"You need to have positive energy. Sometimes, they are young, so they are doing an incredible job. They are a role model for a lot of people so they need to remember that they are a unique talent. But I always tell him, no secret, keep smiling."

Last year, Norris came out on top in the first title-decider that involved more than two drivers since 2010 - fending off McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen.

Domenicali says 2025 was "phenomenal" for F1 with "a lot of interest from the sport's commercial partners" which everyone should be "very proud of."

"We want to make sure that we feel this energy now, to make sure that we keep growing our sport at all levels with the fact that everyone is important to grow this sport," he added.

"I'm expecting everyone to feel that at all levels, so that's my hope [for 2026]."

Watch every race of the 2026 F1 season live on Sky Sports, starting with the Australian Grand Prix from March 6-8. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime

(c) Sky Sports 2026: F1 chief Stefano Domenicali wants 'strong' Ferrari in 2026 season and says team must 'have a plan'