Ferrari brings new recruit to Maranello to boost engine development and close gap to Mercedes. Ferrari boosts power unit expertise with key engineer from Formula E.

Ferrari has made an important new addition with the arrival of a technical figure who will help the team develop its power unit and reduce the gap to Mercedes: here is who he is and what his role will be within the Scuderia.

The Prancing Horse continues its recruitment campaign, this time focusing on strengthening the power unit department in an effort to catch Mercedes and close the engine performance gap. Here is the new arrival at Ferrari and the role he will play within the team structure.

We know that work is ongoing in Maranello on a new engine that will feature a completely different architecture in terms of its thermal section. In fact, the project led by Wolf Zimmermann had shown several reliability issues, which is why Enrico Gualtieri’s team decided to pursue a “plan B” in order not to be caught unprepared. As a result, the current internal combustion engine is an evolution of the 2025 specification, but it does not offer significant development margins.

Thanks to the ADUO system, Ferrari will be able to introduce the updated power unit already during the current season if conditions allow it. However, this is unlikely to happen before mid-July. Now, though, there are new developments regarding incoming personnel. Here is who is joining the team.

Maxime Martinez arrives from Formula E

News from recent hours confirms that Maxime Martinez has arrived in Maranello. The engineer spent two years at Nissan in Formula E and then one year at Mercedes. He has been at Ferrari for only a couple of months, but his work within the engine department is already significant.

Martinez has completed his gardening period and now holds the role of Power Unit Performance Engineer. He is a relatively young engineer, but he is highly regarded, having previously worked in Formula E with the Silver Arrows team as a Powertrain Control Engineer.

The area of electrical management certainly requires improvements within Ferrari’s structure, meaning this addition could prove crucial. Mercedes currently enjoys an advantage of around 30 horsepower, and recovering this deficit is no easy task.

Of course, the season is not over yet, and the new upgrade package scheduled for Miami will be crucial. In the absence of the new engine, Fred Vasseur’s team must introduce the so-called “Macarena” front wing, which would provide a significant step forward in aerodynamic efficiency and reduced drag, resulting in a higher top speed.

The next race weekend will take place in Monza, where the SF-26 will be on track to evaluate developments during a filming day of 200 kilometres.