Ferrari abandoned a planned larger turbocharger for its 2026 Formula 1 power unit shortly before the Italian Grand Prix after reliability concerns emerged, pushing one of its most significant engine developments into 2027. Engineers in Maranello had worked on the concept for months, but the new component was ultimately judged unsuitable for racing when the ADUO2 specification was prepared for Monza.
The decision helps explain why the second Ferrari engine development delivered only a limited improvement for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. With the Scuderia already working towards next season, resolving the turbo reliability problem has become an important part of a 2027 programme that will coincide with another change in the balance between combustion and electrical power.
Ferrari abandoned larger ADUO2 turbo before Monza
Ferrari’s engine department, led by power unit technical director Enrico Gualtieri, had intended to introduce a larger turbocharger as part of the ADUO2 package. Development had started only a few races into the 2026 season and continued for months, with the aim of recovering some of the performance missing from the original power unit concept.
However, the larger turbine did not meet the necessary reliability standard before the Italian Grand Prix. Ferrari therefore chose to retain and optimise the smaller turbocharger already used by the 2026 engine rather than risk introducing the new design. The broader technical story behind Ferrari abandoning its new SF-26 turbo project reflects how late the decision came in the development process.
The smaller turbo had initially offered Ferrari benefits away from outright peak power, including an advantage during race starts. That benefit was subsequently reduced by FIA changes to starting procedures and by the progress rival manufacturers made as they accumulated experience with the new regulations.
ADUO2 delivered only a limited power increase
The 2026 power-unit regulations placed far greater emphasis on electrical energy, moving Formula 1 towards an almost equal split between combustion and electric power. Ferrari struggled relative to Mercedes and Red Bull, affecting not only Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc but also Ferrari-powered Haas and Cadillac.
The FIA twice assessed Red Bull as having the strongest internal combustion engine, while Ferrari was measured at more than four per cent below that benchmark. Those findings gave the Maranello manufacturer development opportunities under the ADUO framework in both 2026 and 2027.
Ferrari introduced its first permitted engine development in Austria at round eight, but that was considered only an initial attempt to reduce a deficit to Mercedes widely estimated at around 25 horsepower. The second specification arrived at the Italian Grand Prix in round 13, yet the ADUO2 package delivered only around five horsepower. The outcome and remaining deficit were examined further in the analysis of Ferrari’s Monza engine upgrade.
The late decision not to use the larger turbocharger was one reason why months of work produced less of a performance step than initially hoped. Instead of introducing the new turbine, Enrico Gualtieri’s group focused on extracting more from the existing smaller unit.
Ferrari moves bigger turbo project into 2027
Ferrari has now shifted the timeline for the larger turbocharger towards 2027, with the objective of reaching the required reliability level before introducing the concept. That timing is particularly important because Formula 1 has agreed to reduce the relative contribution of the battery after the heavy criticism directed at the 2026 power-unit formula by drivers and fans.
The balance is set to change to 58 per cent combustion power and 42 per cent electrical power in 2027, before moving again to 60/40 in 2028. The two-stage adjustment was agreed in June and will increase the importance of the internal combustion engine, placing even greater pressure on Ferrari to recover performance. The wider reasons behind the Ferrari 2026 power-unit deficit have already highlighted how its original technical choices influenced the SF-26 package.
For Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, that makes the 2027 engine programme particularly significant. Ferrari’s hopes of mounting a 2026 Drivers’ Championship challenge have faded, with Kimi Antonelli already in position to potentially secure the title at the next round in America. The Mercedes driver holds a 111-point advantage over the Briton, who is the highest-placed Ferrari driver in third.
The Scuderia’s focus is therefore increasingly turning towards ensuring that the development postponed from 2026 can deliver next season. With combustion power becoming more influential again, solving the reliability issues that stopped the larger turbo from racing at Monza could prove central to Ferrari’s efforts to give Hamilton and Leclerc a more competitive power unit in 2027.
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