Ferrari is preparing a potentially decisive two-stage SF-26 development push immediately after Formula 1’s summer break, with aerodynamic updates expected at Zandvoort before a likely power unit upgrade arrives for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
The emerging plan follows Charles Leclerc’s warning that the Maranello team must remain aggressive in the 2026 upgrade race. McLaren’s major progress at the Hungarian Grand Prix demonstrated how quickly a successful development package can alter the competitive order, increasing the pressure on Ferrari to keep improving its car during the second half of the championship.
Charles Leclerc demands aggressive Ferrari upgrades
Ferrari left the Hungaroring aware that its rivals had taken another important step. McLaren’s MCL40 showed the strength of the Woking team’s mid-season development programme, reinforcing the importance of extracting substantial gains while the new technical regulations remain relatively immature.
After the race, Charles Leclerc explained that upgrades had become far more influential than during previous seasons because teams could still make significant performance gains. The Monegasque emphasised that Ferrari needed to remain on top of the development battle and maintain the aggressive approach it had followed so far.
Leclerc pointed towards the Dutch Grand Prix as the next opportunity to assess the Scuderia’s progress. His message echoed his broader call for Ferrari to keep pushing aggressively in the 2026 upgrade race rather than allowing Mercedes and McLaren to consolidate their recent advantages.
The importance of that approach has increased because the competitive order is changing from one circuit to another. Under the 2026 regulations, a successful aerodynamic or mechanical development can produce a much larger step than teams often achieved near the end of the previous technical cycle.
Ferrari aero upgrade expected for Zandvoort
Italian Formula 1 journalist Giuliano Duchessa has provided a more detailed indication of Ferrari’s anticipated rollout. When asked on X whether the next ADUO development was planned for Zandvoort or Monza, Duchessa indicated that aerodynamic upgrades were expected in the Netherlands, with the ADUO step likely to follow in Italy.
Zandvoort will provide an important examination of Ferrari’s aerodynamic work. The Dutch circuit places a premium on downforce, balance and driver confidence through its banked and flowing corners, making it a useful venue for assessing whether new components have improved the SF-26 across a complete lap.
The updates will also need to correlate accurately with Ferrari’s simulation and wind-tunnel data. The car showed competitive potential during the Hungarian weekend, but its performance changed considerably between sessions and race stints. A recent technical analysis of the SF-26 in Hungary identified rear-tyre management and inconsistent behaviour, rather than a simple shortage of downforce, as its principal limitations.
Ferrari will therefore be looking for more than a headline increase in aerodynamic load. The team needs a package that gives Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton a more predictable balance and allows them to exploit the available performance consistently over both qualifying laps and longer race stints.
Likely Monza ADUO upgrade could address power deficit
The second phase of Ferrari’s development plan is expected to focus on the power unit. The anticipated upgrade for Monza would use an Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunity, commonly referred to as ADUO, available under Formula 1’s 2026 engine framework.
The system is designed to provide additional development opportunities to power unit manufacturers that are behind the performance benchmark. It allows targeted improvements to be introduced during the season within the regulatory and financial structure established for the new generation of engines.
Ferrari already used its first opportunity earlier in the campaign. The expected second package for Monza is regarded as a more substantial mechanical development, with reports suggesting that it could include a completely redesigned turbocharger intended to improve performance at the upper end of the power range.
Such an upgrade would carry particular importance at Monza. The Italian circuit’s long straights and extended full-throttle sections place a major emphasis on power delivery, electrical deployment and straight-line efficiency. Ferrari has experienced a speed deficit during parts of the opening half of the season, making its home Grand Prix a logical target for the next engine step.
Reliability will remain essential before the revised specification is introduced. The Maranello team has already intensified its testing programme for the planned Monza power unit upgrade, as additional performance would offer little benefit if it compromised the durability that has supported Ferrari’s championship campaign.
Two upgrades could shape Ferrari’s championship run-in
The combination of an aerodynamic package at Zandvoort and a power unit development at Monza could give Ferrari a stronger all-round platform for the final part of the season. The first update is expected to target the chassis and aerodynamic performance of the SF-26, while the second could help reduce the car’s weakness on power-sensitive circuits.
For Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, the success of both developments could determine whether Ferrari remains capable of challenging Mercedes and McLaren consistently. The Scuderia has already demonstrated that it can fight at the front on favourable weekends, but it has not yet produced the same level of performance across every circuit type.
If the Zandvoort components work as intended and the likely ADUO package delivers the anticipated gains at Monza, Ferrari could enter the final phase of the championship with a considerably more competitive car. The next two Grands Prix will therefore provide an important indication of whether the Italian team’s aggressive development strategy can turn its remaining title hopes into a sustained challenge.
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