Ferrari is bringing several changes to the SF-26 for the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, with work focused on the floor, the rear diffuser area and the hydraulic system controlling the car’s movable aerodynamic elements. The Malaysian round represents an intermediate development step before a more substantial upgrade package expected at Austin.
The Maranello team can now return its attention to performance after the recent discussion surrounding Frédéric Vasseur’s future and reports of an approach involving Christian Horner. Ferrari has again backed its team principal, while the technical group continues working simultaneously on the current SF-26 and the 2027 project. The situation surrounding Frédéric Vasseur’s Ferrari future has therefore not stopped the development programme.
Frédéric Vasseur highlights the challenge of Sepang
Ferrari returns to Sepang along with the rest of Formula 1 almost a decade after the championship last raced at the Malaysian circuit. Frédéric Vasseur believes the weekend will demand much more than pure competitiveness.
“Sepang is a circuit that represents a very different challenge compared with the tracks we have faced recently. The demands placed on the cars and drivers are very high, and the variable weather conditions can play an important role over the course of the weekend. As we have seen in the last few races, the field is very tightly packed and competitiveness alone is not enough: it is essential to put every aspect of the weekend together. We will have to remain focused and seize every opportunity to achieve the best possible result.”
Despite the recent external speculation, Ferrari has continued pushing ahead with its technical programme. The group led by chassis technical director Loïc Serra is working both on SF-26 development and on the 2027 car, with some of the solutions introduced now also feeding into next year’s project.
Ferrari continues SF-26 development before major Austin package
Ferrari has no intention of stopping development of the current car because the work carried out on the SF-26 can also influence the design of its successor. Frédéric Vasseur has previously explained this approach, with the final major update package currently expected at Austin.
Sepang therefore represents an intermediate step. Weather will also be an important factor in Malaysia, with the possibility of seeing the SF-26 in wet conditions on full-wet tyres, something Ferrari has not yet been able to evaluate during the season. The characteristics of the circuit and tyre demands are examined further in the analysis of why Sepang’s Pirelli compounds could suit the SF-26 better than Baku.
Ferrari modifies the SF-26 floor in a crucial airflow area
Ferrari is bringing several aerodynamic changes while waiting for the more substantial evolution planned for Texas. According to AutoRacer.it, work at Sepang includes further modifications to the floor, continuing the development direction introduced after the Zandvoort updates and tested through different configurations.
One of the changes concerns an updated T-tray cover. The modification affects a particularly important area for airflow management at the front of the floor, where even relatively small geometric changes can influence how the airflow is directed and conditioned further downstream.
The update therefore does not represent a complete change of concept, but another step in Ferrari’s continuing attempt to extract greater efficiency and consistency from the SF-26’s floor. Further technical developments on the car can be followed through the Ferrari technical analysis section.
New winglets target the outer diffuser area
Rosario Giuliana has also reported changes further rearwards on the SF-26. Ferrari is expected to introduce small winglets adjacent to the diffuser, with the solution taking inspiration from another car on the Formula 1 grid.
The objective is to improve airflow management around the outer diffuser area and optimise the interaction between the floor, the rear wheel and the vortical structures generated in that region.
“The objective is to work on the management of the airflow in the outer diffuser area and on the interaction between the floor, rear wheel and vortical structures generated in this area.”
Ferrari is not fundamentally changing the car’s aerodynamic concept with this solution. Instead, it is another detailed intervention intended to recover small margins of efficiency and additional aerodynamic load around the rear of the SF-26.
Ferrari also changes active-wing hydraulic system
Some of Ferrari’s most technically significant changes will be less visible from the outside. The Italian technical department has also worked on the hydraulic actuation system connected to the mechanisms controlling the movable wings.
In this area, the group led by Diego Tondi has continued exploring the limits of what is permitted by the regulations, operating increasingly close to the regulatory grey areas. The modifications affect both the front wing and the rear wing.
The actuators themselves have not been changed. Instead, Ferrari has worked on the hydraulic system responsible for controlling the opening of the flaps, refining an area that has become increasingly important under the 2026 Formula 1 regulations.
Sepang will therefore give Ferrari an opportunity to evaluate several detailed changes before the larger aerodynamic package arrives later in the season. Rather than transforming the SF-26 concept, the Malaysian updates are intended to improve airflow management, aerodynamic efficiency and the operation of key systems while continuing development work that also has relevance for Ferrari’s 2027 car.
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