Ferrari is preparing to go all-in at Monza with the SF-26 as it looks to maximise its points haul and potentially fight for victory on home soil. The Scuderia is set to introduce its ADUO 2 power unit upgrade at Monza, but that will not be the only performance step: Ferrari has also worked on a software update designed to improve the delivery of power and electrical energy around the Italian circuit.
The stakes are particularly high at Ferrari’s home Grand Prix. Monza places unusual demands on the 2026 generation of Formula 1 cars, with traction, engine performance and energy deployment all playing a major role. Ferrari has therefore spent recent weeks preparing both the hardware and software sides of the SF-26 power unit package in an attempt to extract as much performance as possible.
Ferrari ADUO 2 engine upgrade targets Monza’s power demands
Monza is an extreme circuit for the 2026 Formula 1 cars because there are relatively few braking zones and drivers spend much of the lap carrying high speeds along its long straights. That makes it crucial to exit the chicanes cleanly without excessive rear-wheel spin while also sustaining engine power and electrical energy deployment down the straights.
Finding the right balance between those elements is particularly delicate. Ferrari has been working on the ADUO 2 specification, which includes modifications to the turbocharger and several other components and is expected to provide a gain of approximately 10 horsepower. The upgrade should also be available to Ferrari customer teams Haas and Cadillac.
The development is particularly important given the attention that has surrounded Ferrari’s 2026 power unit deficit and the opportunity offered by the new ADUO regulations to recover performance during the season.
Ferrari software update could unlock another 3-4 kW at Monza
According to AutoRacer.it, Ferrari has worked extensively to ensure that its new engines are ready for Monza. Ferrari Power Unit department head Enrico Gualtieri had never wanted to specify exactly when the upgrade would be introduced, but the plan had always been to arrive in Italy with the new specification approved and ready to use.
Working exclusively on the power unit’s hardware, however, does not address every area in which performance can be found. Software management and the various electronic control systems also leave manufacturers room to optimise the behaviour of the 2026 power units.
Engine manufacturers have spent considerable time trying to fully understand the complex energy deployment systems introduced with the new regulations. Torque delivery, battery state of charge, energy recovery and traction all have to be coordinated while keeping the car as stable and predictable as possible for the driver.
A software improvement can produce tangible gains of around 3-4 kW, equivalent to roughly five horsepower, without changing the hardware. This does not mean that the power unit suddenly produces additional peak power. Instead, the system can make more of its available performance usable and deliver greater thrust across more strategically important sections of the lap.
Why Ferrari’s software changes matter for the SF-26
Some of the basic principles drivers have traditionally relied upon when controlling a Formula 1 car have changed with the 2026 generation, and this is also one of the reasons drivers have not always spoken enthusiastically about the current cars.
A driver can use the throttle in the same way through two apparently similar corners but receive a very different response. The software does not simply react in real time to every input; it operates according to pre-defined parameters that determine when power should be reduced or delivered. Those characteristics are not always immediately intuitive for the driver behind the wheel.
Giuliano Duchessa and Piergiuseppe Donadoni explained the effect: “This takes away part of the driver’s decision-making ability, entrusting it to the parameters loaded into the TAG-700 control units before the session. In traffic or during an overtake, the effect can become even more evident: a different energy request influences the Power Unit’s response for the rest of the lap. In other words, it is often the driver who has to adapt to the algorithm, rather than the other way around.”
That is why Ferrari’s software work should not be underestimated ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. At a circuit where traction out of the chicanes and efficient energy deployment along the straights are fundamental, making the available power easier and more effective to use could prove valuable alongside the approximately 10-horsepower ADUO 2 hardware step.
The combination represents another important stage in the development of the SF-26 as Ferrari attempts to extract everything possible from its 2026 package. Further coverage of the team’s ongoing developments can be found in our Ferrari technical analysis section.
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