Ferrari simulations indicate that the team’s second major 2026 power-unit upgrade could deliver around 0.2 seconds per lap at Monza, with the package reportedly set to provide an additional 15 horsepower. The development is scheduled for Ferrari’s home race at the Italian Grand Prix and represents the Scuderia’s second opportunity to improve its engine under the FIA’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities system.
The Monza step is expected to be considerably more significant than Ferrari’s first ADUO intervention earlier in the season. With Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc still trying to close the gap to Mercedes in the Drivers’ Championship, the extra power and revised turbocharger could become one of the most important developments of Ferrari’s second half of 2026.
Ferrari targets 0.2s Monza gain with second ADUO engine upgrade
The FIA granted Ferrari two opportunities to develop its first power unit built for the new 2026 Formula 1 regulations after the team’s original internal combustion engine was assessed as being at least four per cent behind Red Bull’s benchmark. Mercedes’ ICE was also said to be at least two per cent down compared with Red Bull.
The Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities system introduced for 2026 evaluates the internal combustion engine when determining eligibility, although manufacturers are permitted to make changes across the wider power unit. Ferrari used its first opportunity in June, introducing its initial update at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Power-unit technical director Enrico Gualtieri described that Austrian specification as a deliberately limited step intended to put Ferrari on a stronger footing compared with the package used at the start of the season. The second ADUO intervention was always expected to represent the more substantial development, and the team has been carrying out reliability work ahead of the planned Monza engine upgrade.
Ferrari changes turbocharger as rivals erase start advantage
One of the central changes concerns the turbocharger. Ferrari had previously benefited at race starts from running a smaller turbo, but its rivals have since managed to neutralise that advantage. The new specification is therefore designed to modify that area of the power unit without completely abandoning Ferrari’s underlying philosophy.
The revised turbo will remain smaller than some rival designs, but it is expected to use a larger impeller. According to SPEEDWEEK, the complete package being prepared for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix will produce an additional 15 horsepower as Ferrari attempts to reduce its power deficit to Mercedes.
The potential lap-time benefit is particularly significant at Monza, where power delivery and acceleration are major performance factors. Ferrari’s simulations suggest that the additional output from its second ADUO update could be worth approximately two tenths of a second per lap around the Italian circuit.
The team are also said to believe the upgrade can address what has become a key weakness of the current package: power efficiency and acceleration. If the simulated gain translates to the track, it would give Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc an important boost at one of the most power-sensitive venues on the calendar.
Monza upgrade forms part of broader SF-26 development plan
The power-unit work is only one element of Ferrari’s development programme for the remainder of 2026. The Maranello team are believed to be planning their final major SF-26 upgrade package for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, scheduled for October 23-25 as round 18 of the 23-event season.
That approach fits into Ferrari’s broader race-by-race development strategy for the SF-26, with the team continuing to introduce improvements as it attempts to keep its championship challenge alive.
Charles Leclerc has already emphasised the importance of Ferrari remaining aggressive in the 2026 upgrade battle. The planned engine development and subsequent aerodynamic work underline how seriously the Scuderia are approaching the second half of the campaign.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc need Ferrari gains in title fight
The objective is clear: Ferrari want to give Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc an SF-26 capable of fighting Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell for the 2026 Drivers’ Championship.
After 11 rounds, Antonelli leads Hamilton by 50 points at the top of the Formula 1 drivers’ standings, while Leclerc sits fourth and is 81 points behind the Mercedes driver. Those margins leave Ferrari with substantial ground to recover, increasing the importance of extracting performance from every major technical step.
Hamilton’s challenge has already been affected by missed opportunities during the opening part of the campaign, with 20 points identified as particularly costly in Ferrari’s title fight. Any extra performance available from the Monza package could therefore prove valuable as the season enters its decisive phase.
Ferrari also preparing aerodynamic upgrades for Zandvoort
Ferrari will not wait until the Italian Grand Prix to begin its post-summer development push. Further aerodynamic upgrades for the SF-26 are expected at the Dutch Grand Prix on August 21-23, the first round after Formula 1’s summer break.
The Zandvoort developments are intended to help the team build on the form it showed before the shutdown, with the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix beginning a critical sequence of races before Ferrari reaches its home event at Monza on September 4-6.
That makes the next two rounds particularly important for the Scuderia. Aerodynamic developments are expected first in the Netherlands, followed by the second ADUO power unit in Italy, before the team continues towards its anticipated final major SF-26 package later in the year.
Mercedes engine decision could add another Monza opportunity
Ferrari’s Monza upgrade comes at a time when Mercedes are also managing their own power-unit situation. The team are considering changing Kimi Antonelli’s engine at the Italian Grand Prix, with the Italian expected to serve a grid penalty when Mercedes install their sole ADUO upgrade.
That possibility could create an additional opportunity for Ferrari at its home race, particularly if the revised power unit performs in line with the Scuderia’s simulations. For Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, however, the wider significance extends beyond a single weekend. Ferrari need the Monza engine to deliver a meaningful step if they are to keep applying pressure to Mercedes over the remainder of the championship.
With a reported 15-horsepower increase, a larger turbo impeller and simulations pointing to roughly 0.2 seconds per lap at Monza, Ferrari’s second ADUO development is shaping up to be one of the team’s most important technical introductions of the 2026 season.
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