Ferrari is already working on a new Formula 1 engine for 2027 as the Maranello team looks for a more substantial answer to the power unit deficit that has limited the SF-26 against Mercedes during the 2026 season. Team principal Fred Vasseur has confirmed that reducing that gap as quickly as possible is one of Ferrari’s clear objectives.
The SF-26 has shown competitive qualities in several areas this year, while Ferrari has repeatedly developed the chassis in an attempt to extract more performance. The power unit, however, has remained one of the areas where the Scuderia has been unable to match Mercedes consistently in the fight at the front.
Ferrari’s 2027 F1 engine becomes a key development target
Ferrari has not ignored its engine deficit during 2026. The Italian team has used the two ADUO development opportunities permitted by the FIA, with the resulting upgrades providing additional power. However, the nature of power unit development means progress cannot be introduced at anything like the same speed as many chassis modifications.
Fred Vasseur explained that the engine development process is inherently lengthy. Whereas changes to the chassis can sometimes be prepared extremely quickly, even from one day to the next, modifying the power unit involves significantly longer lead times.
According to the Ferrari team principal, two factors are particularly important. Components require substantial delivery time, while teams must also manage the financial restrictions governing development. Ferrari cannot simply produce an isolated revised engine: it has to consider the number of power units required across an entire season, meaning a significant development step can require the production of a fresh batch of engines.
That difference helps explain why Ferrari has been able to make frequent changes to the SF-26 chassis during the campaign while progress on the power unit has necessarily followed a slower timetable. The Scuderia has continued refining the current car, and its broader Ferrari technical development programme remains important despite the growing focus on what comes next.
Fred Vasseur confirms a new Ferrari engine for 2027
The two ADUO upgrades have allowed Ferrari to recover some performance during 2026, but Vasseur indicated that the more significant opportunity will arrive next season. He confirmed that Ferrari will have a new engine in 2027 and emphasised that the objective is to recover the existing deficit as quickly as possible.
That makes the 2027 power unit an important part of Maranello’s attempt to strengthen the overall package rather than relying exclusively on improvements to the chassis. Ferrari’s challenge is therefore being addressed on parallel fronts: extracting everything possible from the SF-26 while preparing a more substantial engine step for the following campaign.
The importance of power unit performance is particularly visible at circuits where energy deployment and straight-line efficiency have a major influence on lap time. That issue is also relevant to Ferrari’s immediate programme, with the Scuderia facing a significant energy-management test in Baku.
Ferrari refuses to abandon development of the SF-26
Attention on 2027 does not mean Ferrari intends to write off the remainder of the current championship. The 2026 season is still in progress and, although the title increasingly appears to be heading towards Mercedes in Brackley, the Maranello team continues to work on the SF-26 rather than abandoning development.
There is also a longer-term reason for that approach. Work carried out on the current car can contribute to the project that follows, making continued SF-26 development relevant beyond the remaining races of 2026. Vasseur’s team therefore sees value in pursuing improvements even while resources are increasingly directed towards the next stage of Ferrari’s Formula 1 programme.
This philosophy is particularly significant because Ferrari believes further SF-26 development can benefit its 2027 car. The work taking place at Maranello is consequently serving two objectives: improving the current package wherever possible and building knowledge that can be carried into next season.
Ferrari’s 2026 upgrades have already demonstrated that the team is prepared to keep pushing on both sides of the car. The ADUO developments have delivered additional engine performance, while repeated chassis revisions have sought to improve the SF-26 from race to race. Vasseur’s comments nevertheless make clear that the power unit requires a longer development horizon than the chassis.
For Ferrari, the next major opportunity to address that weakness will therefore come with its new 2027 engine. Until then, Maranello will continue attempting to reduce the deficit with the package available in 2026 while laying the technical foundations for a stronger challenge next season.
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