Ferrari will introduce its new engine thanks to the ADUO concessions, but the key question is: at which race will it arrive? At the same time, concerns are emerging within Maranello regarding the FIA’s evaluation percentages and what level of approval the team will actually receive.
The Scuderia currently faces an engine deficit of around 30 horsepower compared to Mercedes’ power unit. The ADUO concession is considered secured, but it is the percentage allocation that is worrying team principal Fred Vasseur, who is not giving too much away at this stage. The introduction of the new power unit is now expected at a specific race weekend.
The Prancing Horse could also see its 2027 project compromised due to possible FIA bans. The governing body is reportedly considering banning both the winglets around the halo and the FTM device (Flick Tail Mode). Other teams have already started copying the concept, but the solution developed on the SF-26 provides significant rear downforce and currently represents a strong competitive advantage.
According to AutoRacer.it, this concept will continue to evolve and could be transferred to the 679 project relatively easily. Losing this component would represent another political setback for Ferrari, one that could heavily impact the next car. The performance gain justifies the resources invested and the wind tunnel hours spent.
There are also updates regarding the new engine.
SF-26 ready for a more powerful PU, but doubts remain over ADUO
Also according to AutoRacer.it, Ferrari will finally introduce the revised power unit, featuring updates to the internal combustion section, at the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa. This will be the tenth round of the 2026 championship.
The team will need to accelerate FIA validation procedures to homologate the power unit, but with minor installation adjustments, the SF-26 is expected to run the new engine on the Belgian track. The question is whether this will bring enough performance to close the gap to Mercedes. At this stage, that remains difficult to determine, and even harder to achieve.
Reducing the performance gap is clearly the priority. With the ADUO concession, Ferrari will aim to fight back with additional horsepower.
However, Fred Vasseur’s comments suggest a degree of concern. While it previously seemed certain that Ferrari would receive the full 4% ADUO allocation—which would grant two development tokens and increased upgrade opportunities (up to two extra updates)—the situation now appears less clear.
In addition, the team would also receive additional Budget Cap allowance to further develop the power unit, redesign and re-homologate a different PU architecture, and gain around 30% extra dyno time.
At this stage, there is no certainty that Ferrari will receive the maximum ADUO benefit. The upcoming Canadian Grand Prix is expected to provide more clarity, with Montreal likely to deliver decisive data that could “crystallise” the situation.
Leave a Reply