Ferrari’s performance during Friday practice at the Austrian Grand Prix was far from convincing at first glance, but the overall impression from inside the paddock is that the Scuderia spent the majority of the day carrying out an extensive testing programme rather than attempting to extract the maximum performance from its upgraded 067/6 power unit with the new ADUO package. Instead of focusing exclusively on lap times, Ferrari appeared to prioritise gathering valuable engineering data that could prove crucial over the remainder of the Formula 1 season.
Ahead of qualifying, the team was expected to make significant setup changes in search of the outright pace that appeared to be missing during Friday’s running. With high ambient and track temperatures forecast throughout the weekend, Ferrari will also be hoping to transform the hot conditions into an advantage rather than allowing them to become another obstacle in the fight against its closest rivals.
The Ferrari seen during FP3 already looked noticeably different from the car that had taken part in Friday’s two practice sessions. Throughout Friday, the Scuderia dedicated a considerable amount of time to collecting correlation data between the real car and the simulator, as well as validating the latest aerodynamic and mechanical developments. Reliable and stable data will be essential if Ferrari hopes to continue developing the SF-26 throughout the season and genuinely challenge Mercedes for supremacy in both championships.
The team’s engineers know that every development package introduced from this point onwards will need to deliver measurable gains, and that is only possible if the simulation tools accurately reflect what happens on track. This explains why Ferrari devoted so much of Friday to experimentation rather than chasing headline lap times.
Seeing Lewis Hamilton finish only fifth, with a deficit of 0.597 seconds to Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli around the extremely short Red Bull Ring, immediately suggested that such a result could not realistically represent the true performance potential of the SF-26. On one of the shortest circuits on the Formula 1 calendar, losing almost six-tenths of a second is a significant margin, making it highly unlikely that Ferrari was revealing its full capabilities.
Instead, the lap times hinted that the Italian team had deliberately chosen a cautious approach while evaluating numerous technical aspects of the car. The data collected during these sessions is often worth considerably more than a few tenths on the timing screens, particularly when a completely updated power unit package is making its competitive debut.
Young Swedish driver Dino Beganovic, who emerged as the strongest-performing rookie during the FP1 session, effectively acted as Ferrari’s test driver by following a completely different programme from seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton. The objective behind this split programme was very clear: maximise the amount of technical information gathered over the course of the opening practice session.
While Lewis Hamilton concentrated on one set of evaluation runs, Dino Beganovic was tasked with carrying out several experimental tests that would have been impossible to complete if both cars had followed identical programmes. This approach allowed Ferrari to accelerate its understanding of the latest upgrades while also comparing different aerodynamic configurations under identical track conditions.
Dino Beganovic initially completed a series of aerodynamic tests using a large rear rake fitted with numerous measuring sensors before later running without the FTM system. This innovative device, consisting of a flap that partially restricts the exhaust outlet, allows the extremely hot exhaust gases to be exploited for important aerodynamic purposes. By carefully controlling the exhaust flow, Ferrari can improve the efficiency of the rear wing while simultaneously increasing airflow extraction from the diffuser underneath the car.
The result is a more efficient aerodynamic platform that produces improved rear-end stability without necessarily increasing drag to the same extent as conventional aerodynamic solutions.
Although this ingenious concept has already attracted considerable attention throughout the Formula 1 paddock, it will be prohibited from the beginning of the 2027 season because the FIA has determined that power unit operation should not primarily be used to generate aerodynamic advantages. However, Ferrari’s Austrian test was not designed with future regulations in mind. Instead, its purpose was to verify the team’s current understanding of the system and determine precisely how much performance it contributes under today’s regulations.
Austria also marked the competitive debut of Engine 3, equipped with the first performance upgrade package permitted under the ADUO regulations. Ferrari’s power unit engineers wanted to establish exactly how much engine power the FTM system costs in terms of outright horsepower. Since the system creates a restriction within the exhaust flow, removing it on low-downforce circuits could potentially allow the engine to recover additional horsepower that could then be translated into greater straight-line speed.
Understanding this compromise is extremely important because every Formula 1 circuit presents different aerodynamic demands. While maximum aerodynamic efficiency may be beneficial at some venues, others reward reduced drag and higher top speeds, making the possibility of removing the FTM system an interesting strategic option.
Throughout Friday, Ferrari deliberately kept the upgraded engine under close control by using conservative engine mappings. According to technical observations from the paddock, the revised power unit raises the intake air temperature to well above 110 degrees Celsius. Such high operating temperatures naturally require additional cooling, which explains why Ferrari introduced a noticeably more open engine cover featuring numerous cooling louvres designed to evacuate hot air from the engine bay.
This cooling solution is likely only one part of Ferrari’s development strategy. It would not be surprising to see the team also evaluate a much tighter and more aggressive engine cover specification capable of exploiting the full performance potential of the upgraded 067/6 engine once sufficient confidence has been gained regarding cooling margins.
As often happens during Formula 1 weekends, teams initially prefer to protect reliability before gradually releasing more performance as they gain a better understanding of operating conditions.
Following the unexpected victory in Barcelona, many observers believed Ferrari would arrive in Austria without introducing additional technical updates. However, closer inspection of the SF-26 revealed several subtle but nevertheless important modifications. Among the most obvious changes was a revised front wing specification featuring an updated diveplane, with the horizontal flap adopting a different orientation compared to the version previously introduced at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Although the modification may appear relatively small, adjustments of this type can significantly influence airflow management around the front of the car, ultimately affecting balance, tyre performance and aerodynamic consistency throughout an entire lap.
Ferrari’s engineers also redesigned the T-Tray damper fairing as part of a broader weight-saving programme aimed at reducing aerodynamic drag, which continues to represent one of the principal weaknesses of the SF-26 when compared to its strongest competitors.
Every gram removed from the car contributes to overall performance, while even small reductions in drag can translate into valuable gains along the straights without compromising cornering ability.
The extensive floor upgrades introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix have also altered the way airflow circulates beneath and around the Ferrari. Since the entire aerodynamic package now behaves differently, it is hardly surprising that Ferrari has modified several secondary components as well. One particularly interesting detail concerns the redesigned rear-view mirror support, which now appears to perform a much more significant aerodynamic function by helping direct airflow towards key areas of the car.
Modern Formula 1 cars rely on every surface to manipulate airflow as efficiently as possible, meaning even apparently insignificant components can play an important role in the overall aerodynamic package.
Finally, following an intensive overnight simulator programme back at Maranello, Ferrari’s engineers needed to substantially revise the mechanical setup of the SF-26 before Saturday’s running. Friday’s configuration appeared excessively conservative, particularly regarding the suspension and mechanical balance, which limited the car’s ability to extract the maximum performance from the tyres.
Improving tyre utilisation remains one of the most important objectives because the current generation of Formula 1 cars relies heavily on keeping the tyres within their ideal operating window throughout an entire lap. If Ferrari succeeds in finding a more effective setup, the SF-26 should be capable of exploiting its tyres much more efficiently and consistently.
For that reason, expectations heading into qualifying remained considerably more optimistic than Friday’s timing sheets suggested. The work completed during practice was never solely about producing impressive lap times. Instead, Ferrari appeared focused on building a stronger technical foundation that could allow Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to unlock significantly more of the SF-26’s true potential when it matters most.
If the overnight simulator findings translate successfully onto the circuit, Ferrari should be able to produce a level of tyre performance much closer to that shown by Mercedes and the other leading teams. Friday may therefore have been less about immediate results and more about preparing the car to perform at its highest possible level during the sessions that truly count.
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