Ferrari is preparing for its home Formula 1 race with one of its most significant technical packages of the season, as the revised ADUO 2 power unit is set to debut at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix. Monza could, however, become one of the Scuderia’s most demanding weekends of the year, with its extreme emphasis on top speed placing the SF-26’s power-unit weaknesses under particular scrutiny.
The Italian Grand Prix gets under way next week, and Ferrari has been looking forward to its home event more than most. It is the weekend that has generated both excitement and apprehension since the new regulations were announced, because power units will face an especially severe examination at the circuit with the highest average speed on the Formula 1 calendar.
The enormous main straight requires strong power delivery and a low-downforce configuration, but teams cannot afford to sacrifice too much aerodynamic efficiency purely in pursuit of maximum speed. The faster corners and changes of direction through the second and third sectors become particularly demanding when downforce levels are reduced.
For the occasion, the SF-26 will also feature a special livery dedicated to Michael Schumacher, adding another emotional element to what already promises to be a significant weekend for Maranello. Ferrari will nevertheless arrive fully aware that the competitive challenge could be among the toughest it has faced this season.
Ferrari ADUO 2 power unit set for Monza debut
Ferrari is going all-in for its home Grand Prix. The updated ADUO 2 internal-combustion engine is ready to make its debut at Monza, with the changes expected to deliver an improvement in outright power.
Recent races have repeatedly highlighted the same underlying problem, however. Ferrari’s engine has not matched the performance of its direct rivals Mercedes and Red Bull, even though the SF-26 has regularly demonstrated competitive race pace.
The results have often been compromised by qualifying, where Ferrari has struggled to produce the same level of performance. The Scuderia has yet to secure a pole position during the 2026 season, a statistic that underlines the importance of improving its one-lap package.
Monza should offer more overtaking opportunities than Hungary or Zandvoort, but qualifying will still be crucial. Ferrari’s revised power unit has been developed with precisely that area in mind, targeting greater maximum power over a single lap.
Tyre management has already been one of the SF-26 chassis’ most highly regarded characteristics, and Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc again demonstrated excellent race pace in the Netherlands. By contrast, Ferrari’s hybrid energy management problems at Zandvoort highlighted how much performance can still be lost when the complete power-unit package is not operating at its optimum level.
Ferrari has lost part of its early-season start advantage
Another area Ferrari wants ADUO 2 to improve concerns race starts. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc produced exceptional launches during the opening rounds of the season, while the other Ferrari-powered cars also tended to get away from the grid more strongly than their rivals.
That advantage was linked to a slightly downsized turbo. It remained evident until the interruption created by the absence of Jeddah and Bahrain from that phase of the schedule. From that point onwards, Mercedes improved its software and the other manufacturers quickly followed, causing one of Ferrari’s most significant early advantages to disappear almost overnight.
There has also been a visible reduction in the additional power supplied by overtake mode since Ferrari changed its energy-management approach in Miami, another factor that has affected the Scuderia during recent events.
ADUO 2 aims to restore Ferrari’s strength off the grid
The ADUO upgrades are therefore targeting more than pure internal-combustion engine performance. Ferrari also wants the SF-26 to regain its position as one of the strongest cars at race starts, with engineers introducing revisions to the turbo as part of the latest specification.
The work forms part of Ferrari’s wider ADUO 2 engine development programme, including a significant turbo revision for Monza.
A strong launch will be especially important at the Italian circuit. With the long run towards the opening braking zone, a poor getaway can immediately cost several positions, making both qualifying position and start execution fundamental to Ferrari’s prospects.
Monza could still expose Ferrari’s remaining power deficit
Maranello is committing all of the resources available in an attempt to return to the front, but there is no guarantee that the Italian Grand Prix will provide the ideal opportunity to achieve that objective. Ferrari will need near-perfect execution while also hoping the ADUO updates are sufficient to reduce the deficit to its rivals.
The challenge is particularly significant because Monza places enormous demands on electrical deployment. Any weakness in how the hybrid system releases its available energy can become especially costly on the circuit’s long straights.
Ferrari therefore arrives at its home race with both opportunity and risk. The revised engine should provide more power, the new turbo is intended to help restore the team’s start performance and the SF-26 has already demonstrated strong race pace. At the same time, Mercedes and Red Bull remain important power-unit benchmarks, while qualifying continues to be one of the areas Ferrari most urgently needs to improve.
Monza will reveal whether ADUO 2 can turn those changes into the tangible step forward the Scuderia needs.
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