Ferrari will change the concept of its Formula 1 power unit for 2027, Fred Vasseur has confirmed, as lessons from the first season of the 2026 regulations push Maranello to reconsider some of the compromises behind its current design. The Italian Grand Prix provided a particularly revealing test, with the SF-26 unable to fully compensate for its power-unit limitations on a circuit where outright power, electrical deployment and energy efficiency carry exceptional weight.
At the same time, Ferrari has received encouraging news following Charles Leclerc’s heavy Monza accident. Initial factory checks indicate that both his power unit and chassis remain usable, while the gearbox will be replaced without a penalty. A separate decision on whether to introduce another fresh ADUO 2 later in the season, potentially triggering a grid penalty, remains under consideration.
Why Monza exposed Ferrari’s 2026 power unit compromise
Expectations had risen during the Monza weekend, probably a little too much. Something similar had already happened in Austria. The SF-26 had a good level of downforce and had generally shown itself to be competitive, but the characteristics of the Italian circuit left Ferrari with very little opportunity to compensate for what it was still lacking on the power-unit side.
One important parameter changed significantly between Saturday and Sunday: the maximum amount of battery recharging increased by 50%. With the more restrictive limit used in qualifying, Ferrari was better able to contain its deficit. Over a race distance, however, the more efficient power units were again able to stretch their advantage, making greater use of the internal combustion engine while also supporting the electrical side of the system.
Monza simply featured too few corners for the SF-26 to recover the lost performance elsewhere. Power, deployment and overall energy efficiency therefore had a greater influence than at almost any other circuit.
The Ferrari ADUO 2 specification represented a step forward, and a significant effort had been made at Maranello to ensure it was available specifically for Monza. However, a single update could not completely transform the fundamental characteristics of the project.
Ferrari’s 2026 power unit was born from a deliberate compromise: sacrificing something in terms of the absolute performance of the internal combustion engine in exchange for advantages in packaging and, consequently, the aerodynamics of the car. The relationship between engine performance, installation and aerodynamic efficiency has been one of the defining elements of the Ferrari SF-26 power unit philosophy.
On more complete circuits, that compromise could be partially concealed by the strengths available elsewhere on the car. At Monza, the cost inevitably became far more visible.
Vasseur confirms Ferrari will change its 2027 power unit concept
That is what makes Fred Vasseur’s admission after the Italian Grand Prix particularly significant. Ferrari is working on a change of power unit concept for 2027.
Development of next year’s engine had naturally already been under way for some time, but the information gathered during the first season under the 2026 regulations is leading Maranello to reconsider some of its original choices. The work would therefore go beyond simply preparing another ADUO development or searching for a few additional kilowatts through a conventional evolution of the existing unit.
The changes being considered for 2027 would go deeper.
This is important because it also illustrates how Ferrari is interpreting what has emerged from its comparison with Mercedes and the other power-unit manufacturers during 2026. The compromise between the internal combustion engine, electrical system, packaging and aerodynamics remains central, but an initial design direction can be corrected once teams understand more clearly where the new regulations reward performance most heavily.
From that perspective, Monza effectively acted as a magnifying glass for the strengths and weaknesses of Ferrari’s current solution. The Italian circuit placed particular emphasis on exactly the areas where power-unit efficiency and deployment matter most, providing valuable information for the work already taking place within Ferrari’s technical development programme.
Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari power unit survives initial Monza checks
The first detailed checks carried out today on Charles Leclerc’s number 16 Ferrari have produced a considerably more reassuring picture than the initial fears following his heavy impact at Monza.
Charles Leclerc’s power unit appears to have survived. The inspections performed at the factory have not revealed any major breakages or failures and, at this stage, the unit remains usable.
A definitive confirmation will naturally only come on track, when the power unit is once again operating under load and in genuine running conditions. However, the examinations completed at Maranello have so far uncovered no significant problems.
There has also been positive news concerning the chassis. An advanced scan is not believed to have revealed structural damage serious enough to require its replacement, meaning the chassis also remains available on paper.
The gearbox, by contrast, will be replaced, although the change will not result in a penalty.
Leclerc currently avoids a penalty after Monza crash
As things stand, Charles Leclerc is therefore not expected to serve any penalty as a direct consequence of his Monza accident. There is, however, a separate issue concerning the management of Ferrari’s power-unit pool between now and the end of the season.
Ferrari knows that it could still become necessary to introduce another power unit in ADUO 2 specification, giving Charles Leclerc a fresher unit to rotate through the remaining races.
Such a move would trigger a penalty, but it would be a management decision entirely independent of any damage sustained in the Monza accident.
Ferrari will therefore have to assess whether another unit is required and, above all, at which circuit it would make most sense to take the resulting penalty. The team will study the remaining 2026 Formula 1 calendar in an attempt to identify the venue where the cost in terms of lost grid positions could be absorbed most effectively.
Ferrari power unit decisions now extend from the next races to 2027
The power-unit question therefore remains central for Ferrari after Monza on two different levels. In the immediate future, the checks carried out on Charles Leclerc’s car have delivered encouraging answers and the accident does not appear to have compromised Ferrari’s technical planning.
Further into the final part of the season, however, another ADUO 2 could still be required to provide greater flexibility when rotating the available power units through the remaining Grands Prix.
Beyond that lies the much more significant 2027 project. Maranello is not simply preparing another evolution of what Ferrari has raced this year. After evaluating what the opening season of Formula 1’s new power-unit regulations has revealed, Ferrari has decided to intervene directly in the concept of its engine.
