Ferrari could bring more than its long-awaited ADUO-2 engine upgrade to the 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Alongside the evolved power unit, Maranello is also evaluating a new low-downforce rear wing designed specifically for the high-speed demands of the Autodromo Nazionale, potentially giving the SF-26 another weapon for Ferrari’s home race.
With the Dutch Grand Prix completed, the 2026 Formula 1 season has entered its second half and brought the opening part of the campaign to a close. It has been a positive first half for Ferrari, marked by a return to the front and a solid second place in the Constructors’ Championship. Maranello can therefore see the glass as half full, with confidence that the team can at least fight for important objectives as it continues to develop the SF-26.
Those ambitions cannot be considered unrealistic either. Recent race weekends have demonstrated that Mercedes can be beaten. Lewis Hamilton’s victory in Spain and Charles Leclerc’s win in Great Britain transformed Ferrari’s season, while the competition facing the Brackley team has become much stronger, as the resurgence of McLaren has also demonstrated. Ferrari’s objective is effectively to make life as difficult as possible for Toto Wolff’s team.
Ferrari ADUO-2 engine upgrade ready for Monza
To strengthen that challenge, Ferrari will debut its evolved ADUO-2 engine at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The power unit department has worked intensively on the project and reached the required targets before signing off a specification whose main new feature, as has been reported for some time and confirmed by our sources, will be a new turbocharger.
The evolution of Ferrari’s 067/6 should, at least on paper, recover a significant proportion of the power deficit separating the Scuderia from the strongest engines on the grid. The upcoming specification forms part of the Ferrari ADUO-2 plan for Monza, with the Italian circuit providing an obvious stage for its debut because of the importance of power delivery and straight-line performance.
The ADUO-2 token could provide an additional power gain which, according to the most optimistic estimates, would reach a maximum of around 10 horsepower. Further refinement should also allow the power unit, which has been revised in several other smaller areas, to sustain its power more effectively and provide stronger performance at the top end of the rev range on the straights.
Despite some rumours suggesting otherwise, the upgraded engine is set to make its debut on schedule in Italy. Ferrari will homologate its fourth power unit of the year at Monza, and the introduction is not expected to be accompanied by any changes to the fuel.
Ferrari keeping expectations under control over evolved 067/6
However, the narrative surrounding the evolved 067/6 risks becoming excessive and overly optimistic. We are told that the atmosphere of great enthusiasm sometimes portrayed around the project does not reflect the mood inside Maranello.
Instead, cautious optimism mixed with hope appears to prevail at the factory, with Ferrari aware that it has done everything possible within the development of the engine. The wider performance context also remains important, particularly given the latest FIA ADUO rankings and Ferrari’s power unit deficit.
Focusing exclusively on the evolved 067/6 would not only risk creating unrealistic expectations, but could also overshadow other possible developments that Ferrari’s racing department may produce ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.
New Ferrari rear wing could join Monza upgrade package
Nothing has yet been confirmed, so the possibility must remain conditional. Nevertheless, it cannot be ruled out that the SF-26 could also feature a new rear wing at Monza, depending partly on the remaining budget available to Ferrari after the numerous upgrades already introduced during the season.
The potential rear wing would be designed specifically for the long straights of the Autodromo Nazionale. Ferrari’s aim would be to remove as much aerodynamic load from the SF-26 as possible, maximising top speed and, consequently, the efficiency of the upgraded power unit.
Monza is one of the most extreme low-downforce circuits on the Formula 1 calendar, making aerodynamic efficiency particularly important. A circuit-specific rear wing could therefore complement the additional performance Ferrari expects from the evolved engine rather than relying on the power unit alone to produce the desired step forward.
Ferrari wants maximum performance in front of the Tifosi
It could effectively become another trump card for Ferrari as the team attempts to extract everything from the SF-26 at its home Grand Prix. A strong result in front of the Tifosi would carry obvious significance, while also allowing Maranello to send a clear signal about its competitiveness heading into the final part of the 2026 season.
The priority, however, will be to turn the technical developments into performance on track. The evolved engine is arriving, while the potential Monza-specific rear wing remains under evaluation. If both elements come together as hoped, Ferrari could arrive at its home race with a package tailored specifically to one of the fastest and most power-sensitive circuits of the season.
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