Ferrari has established itself as one of the most aggressive teams in terms of development since the start of the new regulations, but has fallen behind on its engine.
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The 2026 season has so far been largely determined by the development race, and disappointment is high at Ferrari after the Monza setback where the ADUO2 version of the hybrid V6 did not allow the red cars to mix in the fight for the podium.
Mercedes started the year with the most dominant car, but Ferrari and McLaren have gradually closed the gap thanks to numerous upgrades to their cars.
A major weakness
The situation is particularly interesting on the Maranello side. Unlike Mercedes, which arrived at winter testing with a car already very close to the one used at the first Grand Prix in Melbourne, Ferrari still had many elements under development.
Since then, the SF-26 has made considerable progress. Its chassis is even regularly considered one of the best on the grid, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton demonstrating its versatility in slow, medium, and fast corners.
Fred Vasseur acknowledges that this situation is not really a surprise for the Scuderia. Interviewed by The Athletic, Ferrari’s team principal expressed satisfaction with the work done on the chassis, believing that everything is going well in this area. The engine situation, however, has been known for a long time.
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“We knew for 18 months that we had started late,” admits Vasseur regarding the development of the power unit. This admission notably helps to better understand the aggressiveness displayed by Ferrari in its upgrade program since the start of the season.
A second engine upgrade introduced at Monza
Mercedes had done much of its work during the winter and therefore had a much more advanced base from the first races. Ferrari, on the other hand, had to accelerate its development once the season started.
Despite this initial delay, Vasseur remains optimistic about his team’s progress. He believes that “the momentum is positive” and that “the atmosphere within the team is good,” while Ferrari is also trying to keep Hamilton in the fight for an eighth world title. The Scuderia is now looking to gradually close its power deficit thanks to the new ADUO system implemented by the FIA.
Ferrari introduced the first of its two planned engine upgrades this season at the Austrian Grand Prix. The second arrived this weekend at Monza, a particularly important event for the team in front of the Tifosi, but one with a disappointing outcome. According to simulations mentioned before the weekend, the new components would allow Ferrari to gain about 15 horsepower.
Ferrari therefore seems to have largely caught up on the chassis side but still needs to improve its power unit. Vasseur’s admission mainly shows that this weakness had been identified for a long time in Maranello: after starting its 2026 engine program late, the Scuderia is now trying to close the gap at full speed.