Latest Ferrari 2026 engine rumours raise two major concerns for Lewis Hamilton

Turrini discussed the upcoming season in a blog post ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

After reports that Wolf Zimmermann and Lars Schmidt were leaving Ferrari to join Audi, he wrote:

“That Zimmermann and Schmidt, engine designers with long-standing ties to Ferrari, are terminating their collaboration with Maranello just months after the introduction of the new power unit is news that is open to interpretation.

“First hypothesis, the doubts about the prospects of the 2026 engine are real, and the split is the result of a disappointment that hopefully will be disproved by the facts.

“Second, Zimmermann and Schmidt were convinced by Mattia Binotto, who found arguments to get him to follow them at Audi. After that, it’s worth cultivating hope that Fred Vasseur knows what he’s doing.”

Turrini added: “As of mid-September, Ferrari still hasn’t tested the entire PU on the bench. And there are three months to go until the homologation of components.

“Engineer turnover in F1 is the norm. The lack of results facilitates this sort of inundation of whispers.

“Winning helps you win, and when you lose it’s not unlikely that it turns into a sort of Grand Hotel. People come, people go.”

Alpine’s troubles are a warning for anyone who misses the mark on 2026

There have been previous hints that Ferrari’s new power unit might not be heading in the right direction, and news of staff departures will only add to those concerns.

Still, until we see cars running in pre-season testing and at the Australian Grand Prix next year, it is all just speculation. No one truly knows where each team will stack up until then.

A number of drivers have already tried out the 2026 cars in simulators, and there are growing questions about whether the hybrid engines will be able to maintain top speeds at some of the faster tracks on the calendar.

If these issues prove real, every supplier could face a similar situation to Renault’s early struggles under the current rules.

Alpine’s current power deficit dates back to Renault missing their targets before development was frozen in 2022 – a decision meant to help teams shift focus towards future regulations.

They now sit at the bottom of the standings. It is a scenario Ferrari will be determined to avoid repeating as they prepare for next year.