Ferrari has made another aerodynamic change to the SF-26 for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, removing the central “castle” from the high-downforce rear-wing configuration used in Hungary while preparing to introduce a new floor. The Maranello team is continuing its policy of bringing developments race by race, with the floor expected to be the most important element of its latest upgrade package.
While the biggest technical developments are still to be examined in detail, the rear wing already offers an indication of Ferrari’s approach for Zandvoort. The SF-26 is using essentially the same Macarena rear-wing configuration seen at the Hungaroring, but without the three central profiles that formed the distinctive “castle” in Budapest.
Ferrari removes Hungary rear-wing ‘castle’ for Zandvoort
At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Ferrari had exploited the space normally reserved for the actuator of the movable rear-wing flaps to introduce an interesting arrangement consisting of three overlapping elements. The solution was designed to increase local aerodynamic load on a circuit requiring maximum downforce.
For the Dutch Grand Prix, the aerodynamic department led by Diego Tondi has decided to retain the rest of the configuration that worked well at the Hungaroring. Ferrari will therefore continue with its high-downforce profiles, including the additional elements protruding from the upper movable flap.
The two triangular elements remain, as does the rectangular central addition, with Ferrari making use of the volumes available to aerodynamicists under the 2026 regulations. The changes form part of the team’s continuing work on the SF-26, which has received targeted aerodynamic developments throughout the season. Ferrari’s wider SF-26 technical development has focused on extracting more performance without compromising overall aerodynamic efficiency.
New Ferrari SF-26 floor targets more downforce without extra drag
The more significant development at Zandvoort, however, is the debut of a new floor. Its objective is to increase downforce without paying a corresponding penalty in aerodynamic drag, making it one of the key elements of Ferrari’s latest SF-26 upgrade package for Zandvoort.
Ferrari is continuing to introduce new parts from one Grand Prix to the next, rather than concentrating its developments into a smaller number of larger packages. Rivals have adopted different strategies, with Mercedes approaching its W17 development programme with more substantial but less frequent upgrade packages.
The evolution of the Ferrari will continue beyond the Dutch Grand Prix. At Monza, the team is waiting to introduce an engine specification incorporating the changes permitted under ADUO2, adding another important step to its development programme after the Zandvoort aerodynamic work. Ferrari is already preparing its next development step for the Italian Grand Prix.
Zandvoort Sprint format leaves Ferrari little time to validate upgrades
The challenge for Ferrari is made more complicated by the format of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend. Zandvoort will host a Sprint event, meaning the teams have only one free practice session before Sprint Qualifying. Ferrari therefore needs to arrive with a competitive SF-26 immediately and quickly confirm the correct configuration for the rest of the weekend.
That makes the opening session particularly important for evaluating the new floor and finalising the car’s set-up. The limited preparation time is one of the central challenges outlined in the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix preview.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are nevertheless very confident about making the most of Zandvoort’s characteristics. At least on paper, the Dutch circuit should suit the Ferrari, giving the team an opportunity to assess whether its latest aerodynamic developments can immediately improve the SF-26’s competitiveness.
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