Ferrari’s work during the opening practice session of the Austrian Grand Prix extended well beyond the debut of its updated ADUO power unit. At the Red Bull Ring, the Scuderia also introduced further aerodynamic refinements to the SF-26 as part of a compact upgrade package designed specifically for medium-to-low downforce circuits.
As expected, Dino Beganovic took over Charles Leclerc’s car during FP1, with the Swedish Ferrari Academy driver once again carrying out an extensive correlation programme, similar to the work completed earlier this season in Barcelona.
The Austrian Grand Prix marks an important milestone in Ferrari’s 2026 campaign, as it sees the race debut of the updated internal combustion engine developed through the team’s first of the two ADUO development tokens. Both SF-26 cars were fitted with the revised power unit from the very first practice session, allowing Ferrari engineers to begin collecting valuable track data immediately.
However, the programme at Spielberg was not focused solely on the new engine. Both Ferrari drivers also carried out a series of aerodynamic evaluations during FP1, gathering information that will help shape the team’s approach for several upcoming low-downforce circuits.
Ferrari compares different low-downforce aerodynamic configurations
The two Ferrari SF-26s ran with noticeably different aerodynamic specifications during the opening practice session. At the Red Bull Ring, the engineering team’s attention was centred on gathering data ahead of the upcoming races at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, where low-drag efficiency will become increasingly important.
More specifically, the technical department led by Loïc Serra prepared two different configurations of the aerodynamic flow conditioners positioned alongside the sidepods. On Lewis Hamilton’s SF-26, the familiar cluster of vertically developed turning vanes was removed and replaced by a single, wider element featuring a much less pronounced outward curvature.
The simplified design closely resembles the specification Ferrari used before the Miami Grand Prix and is intended to support a lower-downforce aerodynamic setup. Later in the session, Lewis Hamilton switched back to the aerodynamic profiles introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, allowing Ferrari to compare the two configurations directly.
On the opposite side of the garage, Dino Beganovic was guided over the radio by Charles Leclerc’s Vehicle Performance engineer, Johannes Hatz. The young Swede completed his programme using the same floor board configuration Ferrari had raced with in Barcelona, providing engineers with a consistent reference for comparison.
Beganovic also tested the SF-26 without the FTM exhaust wing ahead of Spa and Monza
During FP1, Dino Beganovic also completed several runs with aerodynamic rakes fitted to the rear of the SF-26, allowing Ferrari engineers to gather detailed airflow data around the back of the car.
As part of this correlation programme, the Ferrari Academy driver tested the SF-26 without the small “FTM” wing positioned ahead of the exhaust outlet. The work was intended to validate simulation and wind tunnel findings previously obtained at Maranello, with particular focus on the high-speed circuits that feature later in the Formula 1 calendar.
Based on the current development plan, Ferrari is expected to remove this exhaust-mounted wing almost certainly for both Spa-Francorchamps and Monza. The decision regarding Silverstone, however, will depend on the analysis of the data collected during Friday’s opening practice session in Austria.
The reasoning remains primarily aerodynamic. Eliminating the component reduces the drag generated around the rear of the car, while the associated effect on power unit performance is considered minimal. Ferrari’s engineers will now examine the collected data to determine whether the drag reduction benefits outweigh the small aerodynamic gains provided by the device on each circuit.
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