Ferrari shifts focus to turbo development in 2027 engine project. Ferrari is already developing its 2027 Formula 1 engine.

F1 | Ferrari prepares the new engine: for 2027 the focus is all on the turbo

Ferrari is already thinking ahead to the new engine for 2027: in Maranello, it is clear what areas need to be improved in order to catch up with Mercedes.

A large portion of the gap that currently separates Mercedes and Ferrari is due to the engine. In the first two races of the season, the Silver Arrows have shown that they possess a more efficient Power Unit compared to their rivals, confirming the expectations that had been formed over the winter. At Brackley, thanks in part to the much-discussed variable compression ratio, they are able to extract maximum performance from all the available horsepower, despite a chassis that appears to be inferior to that of the SF-26.

Ferrari has identified the limitation of the 2026 engine

For this reason, in Maranello they have already started working on the new Ferrari engine for 2027, whose introduction could even be brought forward to later in this season. The team led by Enrico Gualtieri has identified the main limitation of the current power unit, which was deliberately designed with a relatively simple architecture. The objective for the Prancing Horse was to ensure a highly reliable Power Unit, especially considering the many innovations introduced by the new technical regulations, thereby avoiding potential issues on track.

To achieve this balance, Ferrari opted for a smaller turbo compared to the one used by Mercedes, allowing Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to benefit from improved initial acceleration off the line. At the same time, however, a larger turbo enables the Silver Arrows to generate greater overall power. For this reason, according to what has been reported by the Italian website AutoRacer, Maranello is expected to follow the path already taken in Brackley for the 2027 project.

Ultimately, the battle between Mercedes and Ferrari is largely being decided by the Power Unit, but not exclusively. In addition to engine efficiency, the balance between chassis and power unit will be crucial, as well as the management of new technologies and each team’s ability to adapt quickly to evolving conditions. The current season could therefore represent an important testing ground to understand which team will be best at combining power, reliability and on-track performance.