Ferrari’s 2026 Formula 1 campaign has reached a potentially decisive phase, one that could have a significant impact on the remainder of the season. While discussions surrounding the ADUO regulations remain unresolved following Red Bull’s requests for clarification from the FIA—a situation that has highlighted how fragile and inefficient some decision-making procedures can be—engineers in Maranello are focused on turning what is currently the SF-26’s greatest weakness into one of its biggest strengths during the second half of the championship.
In recent weeks, much of the attention surrounding Ferrari has centered on chassis and aerodynamic developments. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the most substantial deficit compared to the leading teams lies in the power unit department.
The SF-26 continues to demonstrate encouraging qualities from both an aerodynamic and mechanical standpoint, but on circuits where energy management and overall hybrid-system performance play a decisive role, limitations have emerged that have prevented Ferrari from consistently matching the pace of the Mercedes W17 and the other front-running cars.
Ferrari’s plan to recover lost power
For this reason, the department led by Enrico Gualtieri has established a development programme built around two clearly defined phases.
The first step is expected to coincide with the introduction of Ferrari’s third power unit of the season, currently scheduled for the Austrian Grand Prix at the end of June. The second stage is planned for September at Monza, when the fourth power unit of the year is expected to become available.
The objective is to make substantial changes both to the internal architecture of the engine and to elements of its external structure. According to reports, the work could potentially unlock around 30 additional horsepower, although such figures should be treated with caution, as even the FIA has acknowledged how difficult it can be to accurately interpret performance data under the current regulations.
Regardless of the exact numbers, Ferrari views these upgrades as anything but minor refinements.
The Scuderia has chosen to accelerate its development timetable because the upcoming sequence of races at Spielberg, Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps will provide particularly important opportunities to assess the effectiveness of the modifications.
This is especially true at Silverstone and Spa, where power unit efficiency, energy deployment and overall hybrid-system performance have a major influence on lap time and race competitiveness.
ADUO regulations could shape the second half of the season
At the same time, the ADUO framework remains an important factor in Ferrari’s plans.
The criteria governing the system are still under discussion following Red Bull’s requests for clarification, and the final regulatory outcome could influence the development strategies of several manufacturers. Ferrari is among the teams paying particularly close attention to how the situation evolves.
Within Maranello, there is a growing belief that the SF-26 possesses more potential than its results have shown so far.
There are still areas where Ferrari trails its rivals from both an aerodynamic and chassis perspective, especially when compared directly with the benchmark Mercedes W17. Nevertheless, the team continues to view the power unit as the primary limitation holding back the overall package.
For that reason, the real test of Ferrari’s second half of the season may not be determined by aerodynamic upgrades or setup refinements, but rather by its ability to bring the engine closer to the performance level of its rivals.
Austria and Monza become pivotal moments
If the planned interventions deliver the gains Ferrari’s engineers are hoping for, the SF-26 could finally have the tools required to express its aerodynamic and mechanical strengths more consistently across a variety of circuits.
Austria—or potentially Silverstone, depending on development timing—and Monza are therefore emerging as two critical milestones in a programme that could redefine Ferrari’s competitive standing during the latter stages of the championship.
After spending much of the season chasing the pace of its rivals, Ferrari now finds itself with an opportunity to address the most significant weakness of its project and discover whether the gap accumulated during the opening races can genuinely be recovered.
The coming months could ultimately determine whether the SF-26 remains a promising but incomplete package or evolves into a genuine contender capable of challenging the leading teams more consistently through the remainder of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
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