Ferrari is preparing a careful power-unit management strategy for the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc move closer to the limits of their permitted engine allocations. The objective is to extract as much mileage as possible from older components during practice while protecting the strongest available units for qualifying and races.
The issue will become increasingly important when Formula 1 returns from the summer break for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort from August 21 to 23. As accumulated mileage rises across the grid, teams must balance reliability against the risk of exceeding their permitted number of power-unit elements and triggering grid penalties.
Ferrari engine strategy becomes crucial after the summer break
Power-unit usage is already becoming a significant factor among the leading teams. Lando Norris received a 10-place grid penalty at Spa after fitting a fourth control electronics unit, while Isack Hadjar has already introduced a fifth internal combustion engine and turbocharger, together with a fourth energy store and control electronics unit.
Kimi Antonelli is also approaching several allocation limits. The Mercedes driver has used a fourth internal combustion engine and exhaust system, while his third control electronics unit and third energy store represent the final penalty-free examples available in those categories. Rumours suggest Antonelli could therefore be exposed to a grid sanction at Monza when the new ADUO 1 power units are introduced.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc nearing component limits
Ferrari finds itself in a comparable position with both of its drivers. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are using their third engine unit, the last incorporating the ADUO 1 development, together with their third turbocharger, MGU-K, control electronics unit and energy store. Both still have more flexibility with the exhaust system, having used only their second of the four permitted examples.
That situation has shaped the approach Ferrari intends to follow over the remaining races. Engineers at Maranello want to avoid unnecessary component changes and delay any grid penalties for as long as possible, particularly with the planned 2026 Monza engine upgrade expected to introduce the ADUO 2 specification.
Older Ferrari power units set for greater Friday mileage
Ferrari’s plan is to place more of the workload from free practice sessions on its older power units, allowing those components to accumulate mileage at stages of the weekend when outright performance is less important. Fresher engines can then be preserved for qualifying and the Grand Prix, when maximum performance and reliability become more valuable.
Completely avoiding another engine penalty could nevertheless prove difficult. Ferrari’s current power unit has been in use since Austria, meaning its mileage will continue to increase rapidly once the championship resumes. As with several rival teams, the Scuderia is expected to need a fifth power unit to complete the season without taking an excessive reliability risk.
That calculation is especially important because an engine-related retirement could prove more damaging than a strategically accepted grid penalty. With Ferrari attempting to close the gap to Mercedes and keep its championship ambitions alive, managing the remaining component pool will therefore become part of the competitive equation rather than simply a reliability exercise.
Ferrari could choose a circuit better suited to recovery
If a penalty eventually becomes unavoidable, Ferrari can also consider where accepting it would cause the least damage. The remaining 2026 Formula 1 calendar contains several circuits where overtaking and recovery drives are more realistic than at venues where track position carries a greater premium.
Austin and Mexico City are viewed as two potential opportunities, although the characteristics of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez could complicate matters for the SF-26 because of the circuit’s altitude. Brazil represents another race where recovering positions from further down the grid could be more achievable.
Ferrari’s challenge is therefore not simply to avoid penalties at all costs. The team must maximise the useful life of every existing component, introduce ADUO 2 at the right moment and, if another element eventually becomes necessary, minimise the competitive consequences. In a championship fight with Mercedes where individual points could become increasingly valuable, the timing of each power-unit decision may prove almost as important as the performance of the upgrade itself.
Leave a Reply