Ferrari has planned a series of comparison tests during Thursday’s preparations for the Austrian Grand Prix, while also introducing a minor internal combustion engine update supported by Shell’s latest fuel blend. However, the most significant development on the SF-26 is found in the car’s micro-aerodynamics, where the team has completely redesigned the keel area. The revised T-tray features a new carbon-fibre lay-up and several subtle aerodynamic refinements aimed at reducing drag and improving airflow management through newly developed micro-flaps with opposing angles of incidence.
Although the power unit update has naturally attracted considerable attention ahead of the race weekend, Ferrari’s engineers have quietly continued to work on the aerodynamic details that can make the difference over the course of a Formula 1 lap. These are the types of refinements that are often invisible to casual observers but can produce measurable performance gains once they are combined with other developments across the car. At a circuit like the Red Bull Ring, where straight-line speed and aerodynamic efficiency play an important role, even small reductions in drag can contribute to improved overall performance.
Ferrari’s objective for Spielberg
One of the most interesting details emerging from Thursday at the Red Bull Ring concerns Ferrari’s approach to its aerodynamic package. Early in the morning, the Maranello team displayed the previous specification of the front wing—the version without the diveplane.
This should not be interpreted as a rejection of the updated component. According to Ferrari’s data, the new specification performed very well in Barcelona, and the on-track results confirmed its effectiveness. Rather than taking a step backwards, Ferrari simply wants to gather as much information as possible before committing to a final specification for the remainder of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.
Instead, after analysing the data collected during the Spanish Grand Prix and processing it through the simulator, Ferrari decided to keep both options available for Spielberg. The significantly different characteristics of the Austrian circuit compared to Barcelona make comparative testing worthwhile during the weekend. Barcelona features a much more demanding sequence of long, medium-speed corners that place particular emphasis on aerodynamic balance, while Spielberg presents an entirely different challenge with its long straights, heavy braking zones and rapid changes in elevation.
For that reason, carrying out direct comparisons between the two front wing specifications represents a logical engineering exercise. Ferrari wants to ensure that the aerodynamic package delivers the most efficient compromise between downforce and drag under the unique conditions presented by the Austrian Grand Prix.
Alongside the aerodynamic evaluations, Ferrari has introduced the first update to its Italian-built power unit. Charles Leclerc previously described this as a relatively minor upgrade rather than the major step many had anticipated.
Ferrari expects the revised internal combustion engine to provide an improvement over the previous specification, but the team does not believe it will be sufficient to dramatically reduce the performance gap to the Mercedes-powered rivals. The engineers expect measurable progress, although their expectations remain realistic rather than overly optimistic.
The same cautious expectations apply to Shell’s new fuel, which has been developed to complement the internal combustion engine upgrade introduced under the ADUO allowance. As with the mechanical changes themselves, the objective is to extract every available performance gain while maintaining the reliability required to complete a demanding Formula 1 race weekend.
Rather than searching for one dramatic breakthrough, Ferrari continues to follow a philosophy based on incremental development. Throughout modern Formula 1, teams often find lap time by combining many relatively small improvements instead of relying on a single revolutionary upgrade. This appears to be the direction Ferrari is pursuing as it continues to refine the SF-26.
Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton appeared relaxed during their respective media sessions on Thursday. There is a growing sense within the team that development is moving in the right direction, although everyone recognises that continued progress and maximum effort remain essential.
Both Ferrari drivers projected confidence without becoming complacent. Their body language suggested that the atmosphere inside the team remains positive, with the engineers and drivers sharing the belief that recent development work has provided a solid foundation for future progress. At the same time, everyone understands that the competition remains extremely close, meaning every small improvement could influence the final outcome of qualifying and the race itself.
For the Austrian Grand Prix, Ferrari has therefore focused on refining a specific area of the SF-26 to better suit the demands of the Spielberg circuit. Rather than introducing a completely new aerodynamic concept, the team has concentrated on optimising existing components to maximise their efficiency under the particular characteristics of the Red Bull Ring.
Austrian Grand Prix: Ferrari fine-tunes the SF-26’s aerodynamics
Ferrari’s engineers have introduced several modifications around the keel area, beginning with the T-tray mounting support, which has been completely redesigned. This is a classic example of micro-aerodynamic development and has almost certainly been driven by the aerodynamic department’s objective of reducing the drag generated by the Italian car—an especially valuable improvement on a circuit featuring several long straights.
The keel area may not receive the same level of attention as the front wing or rear wing, yet it plays an important role in managing the airflow underneath the chassis. Optimising this region allows engineers to improve the quality of the airflow reaching the floor and diffuser while also limiting unnecessary aerodynamic resistance.
The goal is to optimise the design of each individual component. Although these are very small details that may appear insignificant on their own, together they can produce measurable gains in lap time. In Formula 1, marginal improvements should never be mistaken for meaningless ones. Every design change introduced by a team has an impact, even if that effect is not immediately obvious.
This philosophy has defined Formula 1 engineering for decades. Teams continuously search for fractions of a second by refining hundreds of individual details across the car. While each modification may only contribute a very small amount of performance, the cumulative effect can become significant over a full lap and throughout an entire race distance.
Ferrari has also added two tiny flaps to both sides of the mounting element connecting the floor to the chassis. The two aerodynamic appendages feature opposing angles of incidence. The upper flap appears designed to generate a slight local upwash, while the lower flap is intended to produce downwash, helping to better manage the airflow in this critical area. Although these additional elements are extremely small, they demonstrate the level of precision that characterises modern Formula 1 aerodynamic development. Engineers carefully study how even the smallest airflow variations can influence the behaviour of the floor, diffuser and surrounding aerodynamic surfaces.
The objective is not to create a dramatic increase in downforce through these miniature flaps alone, but rather to improve the quality and stability of the airflow feeding the rear section of the car. Better airflow management ultimately allows the aerodynamic package to operate more consistently throughout a lap.
Although the overall shape of the T-tray remains unchanged, the arrangement of the carbon-fibre layers is completely different. On the new component, the fibres are oriented vertically instead of following the previous horizontal cross-weave pattern.
At first glance, this may appear to be an insignificant manufacturing detail, but in reality the orientation of the carbon fibres has a direct influence on the structural characteristics of the component. Engineers carefully choose the lay-up depending on the specific loads that each part experiences during braking, cornering and acceleration. As is well understood in Formula 1 engineering, modifying the carbon-fibre lay-up is crucial for tuning the structural stiffness of a component under different load directions. This allows Ferrari to optimise both aerodynamic consistency and mechanical performance without altering the external geometry of the part.
By adjusting the internal construction instead of changing the external shape, Ferrari can fine-tune the behaviour of the component while remaining within the intended aerodynamic concept. It is another example of how Formula 1 teams continue to search for performance gains through highly sophisticated engineering solutions that often remain hidden beneath the surface.
Overall, Ferrari’s latest developments for the Austrian Grand Prix illustrate the team’s continued commitment to refining every aspect of the SF-26. While the engine update and new Shell fuel have understandably generated considerable interest, the detailed work carried out in the keel area highlights the importance of micro-aerodynamics in modern Formula 1. Individually, none of these changes are expected to transform the competitive order overnight, but together they represent another step in Ferrari’s ongoing development programme as the team looks to continue closing the gap to its closest rivals during the remainder of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
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