Ferrari will introduce its third SF-26 upgrade package at the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, with significant revisions concentrated around the floor and a modified high-downforce rear-wing configuration for Zandvoort. The estimated performance gain is around two tenths of a second and could potentially be even greater, making the package an important part of Maranello’s attempt to strengthen its championship challenge against Mercedes.
Bringing an important aerodynamic update during a Sprint weekend is an aggressive decision because Ferrari will have only one practice session to evaluate the package and finalise the car set-up. Nevertheless, the Scuderia has pushed ahead with the planned post-summer-break development step, following the work that led to the new SF-26 floor being accelerated for Zandvoort.
Ferrari’s third SF-26 upgrade package targets the floor
The second half of the season is expected to place even greater emphasis on the development race, which could prove crucial if Ferrari is to reopen the World Championship battle and challenge Mercedes. The Dutch Grand Prix aerodynamic package is only one part of that push, with the team also planning to introduce ADUO 2 at its home race in Monza.
The Monza power-unit development is primarily focused on the turbocharger. The changes are expected to improve the efficiency of the SF-26’s internal combustion engine and, consequently, the electrical side of the power unit as well, with an additional 15 horsepower anticipated. Ferrari’s planned 15hp Monza performance step will therefore follow immediately after the aerodynamic work being introduced in the Netherlands.
For Zandvoort itself, however, the focus is firmly on aerodynamics. The new package could prove important in Ferrari’s attempt to secure its third victory of the season and continues the SF-26 development work identified during the summer break.
Ferrari evolves the SF-26 floor without completely redesigning it
The new floor specification introduced in Miami provided Ferrari with what effectively became a fresh development baseline. From that point onwards, Maranello’s aerodynamic department concentrated on managing airflow along the sides and underneath the SF-26, with the dual objective of generating more downforce while also improving overall aerodynamic efficiency.
The Zandvoort update follows the same philosophy, with the floor once again representing the main area of development. According to information from AutoRacer.it, the biggest changes concern the extremities of the floor, specifically its forward section and the diffuser.
The Italian publication also reported that Ferrari had initially investigated changes to additional sections of the outer floor edge, including the area ahead of the rear wheels. That region has attracted significant development attention from Formula 1 teams throughout the season, but Ferrari’s studies ultimately led the aerodynamic department to revise its original programme.
“Some of the solutions studied for the final section of the floor edge would not have provided sufficiently convincing results to justify their immediate introduction. In fact, a more elaborate version in that area than the one that will be seen at the Dutch circuit has been running in the wind tunnel for some time,” Rosario Giuliana wrote.
Why Ferrari decided not to rush one floor development
Ferrari has therefore opted for a concept that remains closer to the current specification, effectively combining selected new elements with the existing design rather than replacing the complete floor immediately.
The decision has given Maranello’s aerodynamic engineers more time to develop the more advanced concept properly instead of approving it simply to meet a predetermined deadline. It represents a change in working method, with Ferrari apparently more willing to delay individual solutions until the data provides sufficient justification for introducing them.
That does not mean the Zandvoort package has been reduced in scope. It remains the development step originally planned for the first Grand Prix after the summer break, but Ferrari will not replace every area of the floor simultaneously. Instead, the team is continuing to evolve the SF-26 section by section, following the development direction established from the Spanish Grand Prix onwards.
The wider progression of the car can also be seen across Ferrari’s 2026 SF-26 aerodynamic and engine upgrade programme, which has gradually modified the original technical platform rather than relying on a single comprehensive redesign.
Ferrari modifies its high-downforce Macarena rear wing for Zandvoort
The rear-wing configuration selected for Zandvoort will also be a high-downforce specification. Ferrari will return to the basic version used at the Hungarian Grand Prix, although it will feature an important difference.
At the Hungaroring, the SF-26 was configured to extract all the available downforce by using every available aerodynamic element. Zandvoort also requires substantial downforce, but slightly less than Budapest. As a result, the main rear wing will remain virtually unchanged while the cascade of flaps positioned around the central section will be removed.
Ferrari personnel refer to this removable structure as the “Christmas tree”. It forms part of the wider SF-26 Macarena rear-wing concept and can be fitted or removed depending on the downforce requirements of each circuit.
The component is expected to return at Singapore and Mexico City, where maximum downforce is required and the additional aerodynamic load can be useful. Zandvoort, by contrast, calls for Ferrari to strike a slightly different compromise between downforce and efficiency.
One practice session leaves Ferrari little time to assess its upgrades
The key question will be how much lap-time improvement Ferrari can extract from the complete Zandvoort package. An estimated gain of around two tenths would represent a meaningful step, particularly as the Scuderia continues its attempt to close the gap to Mercedes during the second half of the championship.
Evaluating those developments will not be straightforward. Because the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix uses the Sprint format, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will have only a single free practice session before competitive action begins.
That limited running will make correlation between simulations, wind-tunnel work and the circuit particularly important. Ferrari has deliberately avoided rushing every proposed floor solution into production, but the changes that have received approval will face an immediate test at one of the most demanding stages of the 2026 development battle.
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