Ferrari reportedly knew well before the season began that the SF-26 would not start the Formula 1 campaign with the strongest power unit on the grid. The Scuderia had also anticipated that it would qualify for the FIA’s ADUO development allowance, knowing that its engine performance fell within the four percent gap to the benchmark power unit—the Red Bull internal combustion engine. That margin would allow Ferrari to make significant modifications to its power unit in an effort to reduce the performance deficit that had already become evident during the opening Grands Prix of the season.
Rather than reacting to the situation after the first few races, Ferrari had already planned a structured development programme around the expectation that it would be granted additional development opportunities under the FIA regulations.
The development programme accelerated once the outcome of the FIA moderator’s investigation became clear. According to the information that has emerged, the Maranello team’s engineers and technicians had been waiting for confirmation before fully committing to the next stages of their engine development roadmap, and once that confirmation arrived, the project moved into its most important phase.
That investigation eventually produced results after the Monaco Grand Prix, although the process was delayed by additional FIA verification procedures that extended the timetable. Nevertheless, once the governing body completed its assessment, the outcome reportedly confirmed what Ferrari had expected for several months. According to the information that has surfaced, there has been very little doubt regarding the allocation of ADUO concessions: Ferrari will benefit from the additional power unit development opportunities and will therefore be allowed to introduce two significant engine upgrades during the current Formula 1 season.
This represents an important opportunity because modern Formula 1 engine regulations are extremely restrictive. Any additional freedom to develop a power unit can become a decisive advantage over the course of a long championship, particularly when the starting point is a measurable performance deficit compared to the benchmark engine on the grid.
From Austria, Ferrari begins its offensive
Having anticipated for some time that it would receive the ADUO allowance, Ferrari structured a carefully planned two-stage development programme for its power unit. The first phase officially began with the upgrade introduced at the Austrian Grand Prix, while the second and more substantial evolution is expected to arrive towards the end of the summer, potentially representing the final major engine step before attention gradually shifts towards the next generation of Formula 1 regulations.
The initial upgrade has been made possible by further refinement of the 067/6 power unit carried out by Ferrari’s engineers, together with extensive work performed by Shell on an updated fuel formulation. The Italian side’s objective has been to extract every possible gain from both the mechanical package and the combustion process, recognising that improvements in several smaller areas can combine to produce a meaningful overall performance increase.
However, regarding the engine itself, sources close to the Scuderia report that Ferrari’s engine department encountered considerable difficulties while attempting to unlock additional horsepower from the existing architecture. The engineers reportedly explored several solutions, but finding meaningful gains without compromising reliability proved more challenging than initially expected.
As a consequence, the first evolution of the engine made possible under the ADUO regulations is believed to deliver a maximum improvement of approximately five horsepower. On paper, that figure may not appear particularly dramatic, especially when compared to the performance gains Formula 1 teams were once able to achieve under less restrictive engine regulations.
Nevertheless, realistic estimates suggest that this first step should not be viewed in isolation. Instead, it forms part of a broader and carefully planned development strategy designed to prepare the foundations for the second upgrade Ferrari intends to introduce later this summer. Sometimes a modest initial gain allows engineers to validate concepts and establish the baseline required for a more ambitious evolution later in the season.
During that second phase, the Maranello team is expected to intervene directly on one of the most important components of the 067/6 power unit: the turbocharger. At the beginning of the year, Ferrari deliberately chose a smaller turbocharger than the solutions adopted by several of its main rivals. The philosophy behind that decision was clear. A smaller turbo would sacrifice a degree of outright horsepower but could offer sharper throttle response and stronger acceleration off the starting line, providing an advantage during race starts and corner exits.
However, circumstances have changed over the course of the season. Following the FIA’s interventions on safety-related matters, that original design philosophy has reportedly become less effective than Ferrari initially expected. As a result, the benefits once offered by the smaller turbocharger have gradually diminished, leading Ferrari to reconsider its approach. The solution now appears to involve adopting a larger turbocharger capable of delivering greater overall engine performance and improved peak power. If those reports prove accurate, the second ADUO upgrade could represent a considerably larger step than the first evolution introduced in Austria.
Shell’s hidden contribution
As previously reported, an important part of Ferrari’s performance improvements has come—and is expected to continue coming—not only from the engine itself but also from the work carried out by long-time fuel partner Shell.
Modern Formula 1 fuel development is an extremely sophisticated area of engineering. By researching, testing and homologating new fuel formulations, Shell can potentially unlock additional performance without requiring substantial mechanical redesigns to the power unit. Because fuel research operates outside many of the normal research restrictions and Formula 1 budget cap limitations, these developments are often viewed as one of the most efficient methods of gaining what engineers frequently describe as “free horsepower.”
Every small increase in combustion efficiency can translate directly into improved engine performance, making fuel development almost as important as mechanical development under today’s regulations. According to the available information, the first tangible benefits from Shell’s latest work arrived together with the updated power unit introduced at Spielberg during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend. However, another important step is reportedly expected when Ferrari introduces its second engine evolution later this summer, combining revised mechanical components with another updated fuel specification.
Yet perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the Italian side’s development programme concerns an unexpected behind-the-scenes story involving Cadillac. Sources close to the Scuderia have reportedly revealed an intriguing sequence of events surrounding Shell’s fuel development activities. At the beginning of the season, Shell is believed to have prepared one fuel specification specifically for Ferrari, while Cadillac, working alongside the same fuel supplier according to its own development requirements, produced a separate fuel formulation for its own programme.
Although both projects were developed independently, the Cadillac specification reportedly produced an unexpected result. According to these reports—which should naturally be treated with an appropriate degree of caution—the Cadillac version, once presented to Ferrari, demonstrated a performance advantage worth between five and six horsepower compared to the specification that had originally been developed for the factory Ferrari team.
If accurate, that represented a surprisingly significant difference in modern Formula 1, where even gains of one or two horsepower are considered valuable. Ferrari’s engine department is then believed to have recognised the potential offered by this unexpected discovery. Rather than ignoring the information, Ferrari reportedly asked Shell to study the alternative specification and use it as inspiration when developing an FIA-homologated fuel capable of delivering comparable levels of performance for the SF-26.
In other words, Cadillac may have unintentionally pointed Shell and Ferrari towards a more effective development direction. Although the final Ferrari fuel remains entirely FIA homologated and specifically developed for the Scuderia, the inspiration reportedly came from work originally carried out for Cadillac’s programme. If true, it represents one of the more unusual technical stories to emerge from the Formula 1 paddock this season, illustrating how valuable engineering information can sometimes originate from the most unexpected sources.
Looking back, that decision appears to have been a particularly intelligent one. Although it has not completely eliminated Ferrari’s engine deficit, the revised fuel specification has reportedly helped the Scuderia narrow the performance gap to its closest rivals. Every small improvement contributes towards stronger qualifying performances, better race pace and improved overall competitiveness throughout an increasingly demanding championship.
Combined with the first ADUO engine evolution introduced in Austria and the larger second upgrade expected later in the summer, the Maranello team hopes these developments will steadily reduce the remaining power deficit to the benchmark engines on the Formula 1 grid.
Whether that will ultimately be enough to challenge consistently for victories remains to be seen, but Ferrari’s strategy is becoming increasingly clear. Rather than searching for one revolutionary breakthrough, the engineers in Maranello are pursuing a methodical sequence of incremental improvements, extracting performance wherever possible—from the internal combustion engine, the turbocharger, the fuel supplied by Shell and every other area permitted under the FIA regulations.
For Ferrari, the objective is straightforward: maximise every opportunity created by the ADUO concessions, reduce the engine gap step by step, and give the SF-26 the power unit it needs to compete more consistently against the strongest rivals on the Formula 1 grid.
If the second phase of the programme delivers the expected results, the second half of the season could offer a much clearer indication of just how much performance Ferrari has been able to recover through one of the most carefully planned engine development programmes currently underway in Formula 1.
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