Ferrari is preparing another significant technical step in its 2026 Formula 1 campaign, with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps set to mark the debut of a dedicated low-downforce package for the SF-26. The Maranello squad is continuing to refine its challenger in an effort to close the remaining performance gap to Mercedes, particularly on circuits where straight-line efficiency plays a decisive role.
While the SF-26 has established itself as one of the strongest cars in medium- and high-downforce configurations, Maranello engineers remain focused on improving top speed. The chassis developed under Loic Serra and Diego Tondi has already demonstrated excellent aerodynamic efficiency, but the team is still searching for additional gains on the longest straights, where the Silver Arrows continue to enjoy a small but important advantage.
The first ADUO power unit upgrade delivered noticeable progress earlier this season, especially in energy deployment and acceleration. However, Ferrari is already looking beyond that package, with the highly anticipated ADUO 2 specification expected later in the year as part of the team’s long-term strategy to further reduce the remaining performance deficit.
Ferrari develops a Spa-specific low-drag configuration
Spa-Francorchamps presents one of the biggest technical challenges on the Formula 1 calendar. Its combination of high-speed corners, long full-throttle sections and significant elevation changes forces teams to strike a delicate balance between aerodynamic efficiency and cornering performance.
Rather than simply reducing rear wing angle, Ferrari has reportedly developed a dedicated aerodynamic package tailored specifically for low-downforce circuits. According to reports from Motorsport.com Italia, the package has already received final approval in Maranello and is designed to maximise efficiency while protecting the SF-26 during defensive and overtaking situations on Spa’s long straights.
Engineers have also been working extensively on optimising energy deployment throughout the lap, a particularly important area under the 2026 regulations given the longer periods of full-throttle running at the Belgian circuit.
New Macarena EVO wing expected to debut in Belgium
The centrepiece of Ferrari’s Spa upgrade package will be the introduction of the new Macarena EVO rear wing, an evolution of the innovative concept first introduced earlier this season.
The revised design has been developed to further reduce aerodynamic drag while maintaining enough stability through Spa’s fast corners like Eau Rouge, Raidillon and Blanchimont. According to estimates reported in Italy, the new specification could increase the SF-26’s maximum speed by approximately 11 km/h under the right conditions, representing one of Ferrari’s biggest aerodynamic developments of the season.
The package will also include the removal of the FTM aerodynamic device positioned ahead of the exhaust. The Italian side had already evaluated this configuration during the opening practice session in Austria, where engineers gathered valuable data on its effect.
Although the component contributes additional downforce, it is also believed to cost around seven horsepower because of the extra aerodynamic resistance it creates. Eliminating it should therefore improve straight-line performance, an area that becomes particularly important around Spa-Francorchamps.
Weather conditions may also influence another planned change, with Ferrari evaluating the introduction of a lower-downforce floor specification if track conditions allow the team to maximise its benefits.
Ferrari confident despite FIA attention on rotating wing concepts
The arrival of the Macarena EVO wing also comes at a time when Formula 1’s governing body has been paying close attention to rotating aerodynamic components.
Following reliability concerns experienced by Red Bull and the development challenges encountered by McLaren, the FIA has increased its monitoring of similar concepts across the grid. Those events have inevitably drawn additional attention to Ferrari’s own rotating rear wing solution.
Unlike some of its rivals, however, the Maranello team appears confident that its design fully complies with the regulations. The concept has operated without reliability concerns since making its competitive debut at the Miami Grand Prix, giving the Scuderia confidence that it can continue using and evolving the system without regulatory complications.
Spa could provide another important test for Ferrari’s development path
The Belgian Grand Prix is expected to offer one of the clearest indications yet of how much progress Ferrari has made in improving the SF-26’s aerodynamic efficiency. Combined with the team’s continued work on power unit development, the new Spa package represents another important step in Ferrari’s effort to challenge Mercedes more consistently during the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will both be hoping the revised aerodynamic package delivers the additional straight-line speed Ferrari has been searching for without sacrificing the strong cornering performance that has become one of the SF-26’s greatest strengths. If the new Macarena EVO wing performs as expected, Spa could become another key milestone in Ferrari’s development race before even larger upgrades arrive later in the campaign.
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