On Thursday, ahead of the United States Grand Prix race weekend in Texas, Lewis Hamilton made it clear that “for Ferrari, the last six races of the season will serve as a test for 2026.” This statement captures the essence of the teams’ focus: attention is firmly set on a revolutionary technical year that cannot be postponed. For several months now, teams have progressively concentrated the resources of their technical departments on the development of next year’s car, which will feature significant changes in aerodynamic concepts and power units. For the latter, the main focus is on balancing the available power between the electric components and the internal combustion engine.
The aerodynamic concept will undergo a complete transformation, not only with the abandonment of the current Venturi channel configuration on the floor, which generates ground effect, but especially in the wings’ configuration. From next year, the wings will be active elements designed to compensate for the available electric charge. Despite the revolutionary nature of these changes, many conceptual elements of the cars will remain unchanged, particularly in terms of vehicle dynamics. For this reason, it will be crucial to use the upcoming races—especially weekends without a Sprint format, which allow for three free practice sessions—to test various components that are essential for the 2026 car.
Inside Maranello
Among the areas Ferrari is currently focusing on is the internal fluid dynamics of the next car, aimed at ensuring the most efficient cooling of the power unit. While maintaining the current architecture, the unit will be significantly different from the 2025 version, not only regarding the internal combustion engine but especially in terms of the electric components. The energy recovered into the battery will be delivered at three times the current power, rising from just under 180 hp to approximately 470 hp. This will create particularly critical charge and discharge cycles, potentially increasing battery temperatures and putting the entire hybrid system under stress.
Sidepod inlets will be positioned further back and, according to gathered insights, will be more elongated than current ones. These changes will fundamentally alter the internal fluid dynamics, and the on-track tests planned for the upcoming race weekends aim to simulate these conditions effectively. Tests will also be conducted on the suspension, including experiments on specific elements of the front suspension and analysis of the interaction between front and rear suspensions regarding the rear setup.
The SF-25 has proven to be a car that is difficult to optimize and with limited potential. For the 2026 project, Ferrari is turning the page. The remaining races of this season will be used to experiment with solutions that will be transferred to next year’s car, with a categorical imperative for the Scuderia: return to winning.
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