Ferrari breaks FIA curfew at Hungarian GP to optimise SF-26 ahead of qualifying. Midnight gains? Ferrari mechanics work through the night to perfect the SF-26.

Ferrari is leaving no stone unturned at the Hungaroring, opting to break the FIA overnight curfew between Friday practice and Saturday morning to optimize the performance of the SF-26. The Maranello squad triggered its first curfew exemption of the 2026 Formula 1 season to allow mechanics and engineers extra time to work on the car’s setup, management, and operational efficiency ahead of final practice and qualifying.

Under Formula 1 regulations, each team is permitted four individual curfew jokers during the season. These exceptions allow team personnel associated with car operation and management to remain within the circuit perimeter during the mandatory overnight shutdown period, enabling crucial extra hours of physical work on the cars.

FIA statement confirms overnight work for Ferrari and Racing Bulls

The FIA confirmed the move in an official document issued on Saturday morning before FP3, noting that personnel from both Ferrari and Racing Bulls were present at the circuit during the restricted window.

The official FIA statement read:

“Last night team personnel of the Scuderia Ferrari HP team, associated with the operation of the car, were within the confines of the circuit during the eleven and a half (11.5) hour period which commenced at 22:00 on 24 July (fourteen and a half [14.5] hours before the scheduled start time of P3) and ends three (3) hours before the scheduled start time of P3 at 09:30 on 25 July.

This was the first (1st) of the four (4) individual exceptions permitted for the Scuderia Ferrari HP team during the 2026 Formula One Championship season and again no action should be taken.

Last night team personnel of the VISA Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team, associated with the operation of the car, were within the confines of the circuit during the eleven and a half (11.5) hour period which commenced at 22:00 on 24 July (fourteen and a half [14.5] hours before the scheduled start time of P3) and ends three (3) hours before the scheduled start time of P3 at 09:30 on 25 July. This was the second (2nd) of the four (4) individual exceptions permitted for the VISA Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team during the 2026 Formula One Championship season and again no action should be taken.”

High stakes for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in qualifying

The decision to utilize an exemption early in the weekend highlights Ferrari’s commitment to securing maximum performance on a track where overtaking is famously difficult. With Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc aiming to lock out the front row for the Hungarian Grand Prix, fine-tuning the balance and energy deployment on the SF-26 could prove decisive when pole position is settled by tight margins.

While Racing Bulls used their second exception of the campaign, Ferrari’s strategic use of their first joker ensures that both drivers enter Saturday with a refined platform, leaving nothing to chance as they pursue vital points in the Formula 1 driver standings.

In modern Formula 1, overnight preparation and rapid simulator feedback play a vital role in transforming Friday practice data into track dominance. As teams balance reliability with maximum single-lap performance, leveraging regulatory exemptions effectively often provides the subtle edge needed to secure pole position on competitive circuits like the Hungaroring.