Ferrari still has significant development potential on its SF-26: two major packages are expected during the second half of the season, the first as early as Zandvoort, the other at Monza.
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The good start to the SF-26 season is an important advantage for Ferrari. The Italian single-seater has not suffered from major structural problems, so the Scuderia has not been forced to devote a significant part of its resources to correcting its concept.
A situation that allows it to continue a development program planned around two new major evolutions, to which several smaller modifications will be added over the course of the races.
A new floor expected at Zandvoort
The first important step will take place as soon as the championship resumes in the Netherlands. At Zandvoort, Ferrari should introduce a significant evolution of the floor that appeared in Barcelona and has been progressively optimized since then.
This version constituted a new development base for the SF-26. The aerodynamicists in Maranello have since continued their work with two main objectives: increase downforce and widen the operating window of the single-seater.
The challenge will be to make the Ferrari more consistent on circuits with different characteristics, as the hierarchy has fluctuated a lot this season according to the evolutions introduced by the different teams.
The new turbo for Monza
At Monza, development will take a different direction. On a circuit where top speed is paramount, Ferrari will naturally use a specific low-drag aerodynamic configuration. But attention will mainly be focused on the power unit. The Scuderia hopes to be able to introduce its new turbocharger there, associated with the ADUO evolution.
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The goal is to improve the efficiency of the turbo group in order to optimize the management of airflow and pressure at high revs. By reducing certain losses, Ferrari hopes to allow the thermal engine to maintain its power more effectively in the upper part of its operating curve.
The benefits should be particularly noticeable in acceleration and on long straights, a particularly important area at Monza. However, it will not yet be a revolution. This evolution, called ADUO 2, is mainly intended to be the technical base with which Ferrari will finish the 2026 season.
A final package planned for autumn
The development of the SF-26 will not stop after Zandvoort and Monza. Another important package is already in preparation in Maranello and should appear during the autumn.
Ferrari can thus continue to gradually exploit the potential of its single-seater without having to undertake a costly reconsideration of its architecture while staying within the limited budget.
This stability also allows the Scuderia to prepare the future more calmly. Because while the SF-26 will continue to evolve until the end of the season, the real power unit concept change is planned for 2027.
Maranello is already working on this next step, which should represent a much deeper evolution of the engine architecture than the improvements planned during the second half of the 2026 season.
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