Ferrari will complete the technical development of the SF-26 at the United States Grand Prix with its final major upgrade package of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Maranello team is preparing a new floor together with revised sidepods and adjustments to the bodywork, while the front wing will remain unchanged as Ferrari searches for another victory before the end of the campaign.
“Hopefully we’ll be the ones to benefit from the final upgrade package,” Charles Leclerc said after finishing second at the Singapore Grand Prix. His comments underlined the importance Ferrari is placing on the upcoming SF-26 developments in Austin, which represent the final significant technical step planned for the current car.
Ferrari’s final SF-26 upgrade package arrives in Austin
The updates will complete the development programme of a Ferrari SF-26 that has already won in Barcelona and at Silverstone this season. Ferrari’s objective is now to return to the top step of the podium at least once more during the closing stages of 2026.
Second place in the Constructors’ Championship does not currently appear to be under serious threat, allowing Ferrari to concentrate less on what is happening behind and more on closing the gap ahead. After a period without another victory, the focus in Maranello is firmly on giving Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton a stronger opportunity to fight at the front.
The 2026 United States Grand Prix in Austin will therefore become an important test of whether Ferrari’s final development work can translate into an immediate performance gain.
New Ferrari floor targets more underbody downforce
The most important element of the package is a new floor. Ferrari has developed the component with the aim of generating additional downforce from the underside of the SF-26, an area that plays a fundamental role in the aerodynamic performance of the current Formula 1 cars.
However, the objective is not simply to increase peak aerodynamic load. Ferrari has also worked to make the downforce produced by the car more stable across different driving conditions. The intention is to broaden the SF-26’s operating window wherever possible without making its overall balance more unstable.
This search for a wider and more predictable performance window is particularly important because an aerodynamic package must remain effective as ride height, speed and the attitude of the car change around a lap. The new floor is therefore intended to provide Ferrari with both additional load and more consistent aerodynamic behaviour.
Revised sidepods and bodywork accompany Ferrari floor changes
The new floor will be accompanied by revised sidepods and corresponding changes to the SF-26 bodywork. The components are closely related because modifications underneath the car can also require Ferrari to reconsider how airflow is managed around the side of the chassis and towards the rear.
These changes form part of the same aerodynamic development programme rather than representing isolated modifications. More analysis of Ferrari’s wider design direction and the evolution of the SF-26 can be found in the Ferrari technical analysis section.
Ferrari front wing will remain unchanged in Austin
One area that will not be modified is the front wing. While Ferrari is introducing significant changes to the floor, sidepods and bodywork, the existing front-wing specification will remain in place for the Austin package.
That distinction helps define the scope of Ferrari’s final SF-26 development step. Rather than changing every major aerodynamic surface, Maranello has concentrated its latest work on improving the underbody and the surrounding bodywork while preserving the front-wing concept already in use.
Charles Leclerc hopes Ferrari can turn upgrades into another victory
Charles Leclerc’s comments after his second place in Singapore reflected Ferrari’s determination to extract more from the SF-26 before development of the 2026 car is completed. The car has already demonstrated its winning potential in Barcelona and at Silverstone, but Ferrari has had to wait for another opportunity to celebrate since those successes.
Austin will now provide the first indication of whether the latest floor and sidepod revisions can deliver the intended improvement. Ferrari’s target is clear: find more downforce from the underside of the car, make that aerodynamic performance more stable across a wider range of conditions and give the SF-26 a better opportunity to fight for another Grand Prix victory before the end of the season.
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