Fred Vasseur has revealed that Ferrari went into Formula 1’s new 2026 regulations knowing its power-unit programme had started later than planned, helping to explain the aggressive development campaign that has followed with the SF-26. While the Maranello team has made significant progress with its chassis, Vasseur acknowledged that the engine side began from a less favourable position.
The admission comes during a season in which development has become one of the defining factors in the battle at the front. Mercedes began the campaign with the strongest overall package, but Ferrari and McLaren have gradually increased the pressure, making a straightforward double championship success for the Brackley team far from guaranteed.
Ferrari in particular has pushed hard with upgrades throughout the opening phase of the new rules cycle. Vasseur’s comments now provide important context for that approach: the Scuderia has not simply been chasing routine performance gains, but trying to recover ground from a delayed start in one of the most important areas of the 2026 project.
Fred Vasseur admits Ferrari started 2026 engine development late
Speaking to The Athletic, Fred Vasseur separated Ferrari’s progress into two distinct areas. On the chassis side, the team principal indicated that development was progressing well. The power unit, however, represented a different challenge.
Vasseur explained that Ferrari had known for 18 months that its engine development programme had begun late. His wording is significant because it does not mean Ferrari was necessarily 18 months behind its rivals; rather, the team had been aware for that period that it had started the project later than intended.
That background helps explain why the Scuderia has been particularly active in trying to extract more from the 2026 package. The Ferrari SF-26 Power Unit development programme has focused not only on peak output, but also on efficiency, deployment and the way the complete hybrid system delivers performance around a lap.
Despite the engine deficit, Vasseur described the overall direction within Ferrari positively. He indicated that the team’s momentum was encouraging and that morale remained strong as Maranello continued its efforts to support Lewis Hamilton’s attempt to fight for a record-breaking eighth Formula 1 world championship.
SF-26 chassis strength has contrasted with Ferrari’s engine deficit
Ferrari’s situation has been unusual because the SF-26 chassis has earned considerable praise even while its power unit has remained an area requiring further development. The car has demonstrated competitive characteristics across low-, medium- and high-speed corners, allowing Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to exploit a broad range of its capabilities.
The contrast with Mercedes was especially clear during pre-season. Ferrari arrived at testing with several elements of the car still under active development, whereas Mercedes brought a package already much closer to the specification it would race at the opening round in Melbourne.
Mercedes technical director James Allison later acknowledged that the German manufacturer had not yet responded fully to Ferrari’s recent progress because so much of its work had already been completed over the winter. That different development rhythm has become increasingly visible as the season has progressed.
Ferrari, by comparison, has continued to introduce updates at a rapid rate. The team’s latest technical work has included both aerodynamic changes and power-unit revisions, with Charles Leclerc also assessing the Ferrari engine and floor upgrades prepared for the Italian Grand Prix.
ADUO programme is helping Ferrari recover power-unit performance
A central part of Ferrari’s recovery has come through the FIA’s new ADUO mechanism, which has allowed the manufacturer to introduce developments aimed at reducing its deficit in power-unit performance.
The first of Ferrari’s two planned upgrades was deployed at the Austrian Grand Prix. Rather than introducing both developments immediately, the Scuderia then waited until its home weekend at Monza before bringing the second evolution.
The latest specification includes work on the turbocharger and compressor, with Ferrari targeting efficiency as much as outright horsepower. The ADUO-2 turbo upgrade introduced at Monza includes revisions centred on the compressor blades and internal airflow management.
That approach is important because Formula 1 power-unit performance is not determined solely by a headline horsepower figure. Improvements in compressor efficiency, energy management and power delivery can all contribute to lap time, particularly at a circuit such as Monza where sustained acceleration and long periods at full throttle place major demands on the system.
Ferrari sees encouraging early signs from 15hp Monza boost
Ferrari chose the Italian Grand Prix as the venue for its second power-unit upgrade as it targets another major result on home soil. The new components have been associated with an estimated 15-horsepower performance gain, making the opening practice session an important first indication of whether the package was delivering the expected benefit.
After FP1, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were at the top of the timesheets, providing Ferrari with an encouraging start to the weekend. The early result suggested that the new specification was working in the intended direction, although the true competitive picture would only become clearer as the weekend developed.
The improvement follows months of work intended to close the gap created by Ferrari’s delayed start. The broader Ferrari technical development programme has therefore become one of the central themes of the Scuderia’s 2026 campaign, with the team attempting to combine the recognised strengths of the SF-26 chassis with a steadily improving power unit.
Vasseur’s admission ultimately puts Ferrari’s season into sharper perspective. The team began the new regulatory era without having completed its engine programme as early as it would have wanted, yet has responded by pursuing one of the grid’s most aggressive upgrade strategies. With Mercedes still setting the reference in several areas and Ferrari continuing to recover performance, the development race remains a major factor in both the constructors’ battle and Hamilton’s championship ambitions.
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