Scuderia Ferrari has revealed how it tackled one of the toughest technical challenges of the new regulatory era: reducing the weight of its 2026 Formula 1 car.
The new FIA regulations introduced for the 2026 F1 season had, among their main objectives, the creation of smaller and lighter cars compared to the recent past. The aim is clear: increase overtaking opportunities and improve the overall spectacle during Grands Prix. One of the aspects most frequently criticised by drivers in recent seasons was the difficulty of overtaking, largely due to the excessive weight and dimensions of the previous generation of cars.
As a result, the new cars are 20 centimetres shorter, 10 centimetres narrower and thirty kilograms lighter than their 2025 counterparts. These are significant structural changes that have forced engineers to rethink virtually every aspect of the car concept. In several cases, this comprehensive redesign has created considerable technical challenges for teams across the grid.
How did Ferrari reduce the weight of the SF-26?
Within this context, the work carried out by Ferrari has been close to flawless. The Maranello-based team presented an SF-26 that was immediately very close to the new minimum weight limit set by the regulations, which now stands at 770 kg. This is far from a given achievement, especially when compared to other cars on the grid, including Aston Martin, which is reportedly around 40 kilograms overweight.
So how did the Scuderia manage to remove thirty kilograms compared to last year’s car? Corrado Onorato, Ferrari’s Deputy Chief Designer, explained the process in a video published on social media.
“2026 has represented one of the biggest revolutions in the history of Formula 1. The technical regulations have led to smaller and lighter cars. The concept is to have agile cars, combined with low-drag aerodynamics and active aerodynamic devices, in order to achieve performance levels similar to those of previous years, but within the new regulatory framework for the power units. Since it is very difficult to remove thirty kilograms from a Formula 1 car, weight becomes a strong differentiating factor in terms of performance. This challenge forces us to consider new or alternative materials. From the very beginning we understood that good integration between the car and the power unit was fundamental, considering that the most important aspect is lap time optimisation, rather than the performance of the power unit or aerodynamic load considered individually,” explained the Ferrari engineer.
Ferrari’s approach highlights how, under the 2026 F1 regulations, overall vehicle integration and weight management are likely to play a decisive role in determining competitiveness throughout the season. In a championship where every kilogram can influence lap time, achieving a car close to the minimum weight limit could represent a crucial advantage in the fight at the front of the grid.
The success of the SF-26 in meeting the 2026 weight targets highlights a significant shift in Ferrari’s internal culture toward total vehicle integration. By hitting the 770 kg limit while rivals are still struggling with excess mass, the Scuderia has secured a “free” performance advantage that allows them to focus exclusively on aerodynamic development and power mapping. Corrado Onorato’s emphasis on alternative materials and unified design proves that in this new era of agile, active-aero machines, the battle for the championship is being won gram by gram in the design office.
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