Ferrari has decided where it will carry out the filming day that will precede the introduction of an important package of upgrades expected to debut during the Miami Grand Prix weekend. The Italian team is eager to evaluate new components that could help improve the overall performance of the SF-26 as the Formula 1 season progresses.
The first two races of the championship revealed quite clearly that the main limitation of the Ferrari SF-26 is a lack of pure top speed on the straights. While the car has demonstrated competitive pace in several sections of the track, particularly in more technical corners, the deficit in straight-line performance has made it difficult for Ferrari to consistently challenge Mercedes in certain race situations.
For this reason, the Maranello-based team is preparing a significant upgrade package ahead of the Miami race weekend, which will effectively mark the end of the unexpected break in the calendar caused by the conflicts in the Middle East.
The FIA decided to cancel the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to the seriousness of the situation in the region. This decision has forced Formula 1 teams to rethink their original development plans, since many had initially targeted the events in Sakhir and Jeddah as ideal opportunities to introduce the first major upgrades of the season.
Ferrari ready to hit the track for the filming day
Ferrari was among the teams that had planned to bring developments during that phase of the championship. After introducing some minor updates already seen during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, the engineers in Maranello are now working intensively to reduce the performance gap to Mercedes, particularly in terms of straight-line efficiency and overall aerodynamic balance.
To better evaluate the effectiveness of the new components before their official race debut, Ferrari has decided to test them during a filming day on a circuit that is especially demanding for car performance.
According to reports from AutoRacer, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are expected to take to the track at Monza during the April break. The historic Italian circuit, famously known as the “Temple of Speed,” represents the perfect environment to analyze how the new upgrades perform in conditions where top speed and aerodynamic efficiency are crucial.
Testing at Monza could therefore provide Ferrari engineers with valuable data on how the SF-26 behaves on long straights and high-speed sections, helping them determine whether the new package can effectively reduce the current performance gap to Mercedes.
In addition, early indications suggest that the upcoming upgrade package will be quite substantial. This reinforces Ferrari’s clear intention to accelerate the development of the SF-26 and close the gap to its main rivals as the Formula 1 season continues.
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