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Ferrari’s return from Formula 1’s summer break at Zandvoort marked the beginning of a new development phase for the SF-26. The team introduced a revised floor and diffuser in the Netherlands, but the package represented only part of the upgrade originally intended for that stage of the season.
Ferrari chose to split the programme, bringing forward the solutions that had reached sufficient maturity while allowing more time to develop the lateral section of the floor edge. The Zandvoort specification therefore focused mainly on the front floor boards and diffuser. The revised lateral edge is expected later in the season, in a window running from Baku in late September to Austin a month later, although the exact race remains undecided.
The Dutch GP package is estimated to offer potential gains of around 0.15 seconds per lap. That is a refinement rather than a transformation, building on the floor evolution introduced at Barcelona in mid-June. Ferrari won two of the following three grands prix, but results have been more difficult since its Silverstone victory. With Lewis Hamilton still carrying some title hope, Monza arrives as both a championship opportunity and a home-race priority.
Monza’s long full-throttle sections place particular emphasis on power, energy management and aerodynamic efficiency. The challenge is not simply reducing downforce, but retaining as much of it as possible for a given drag level.
Active aerodynamics and extensive use of straight-line mode could make the compromise less severe than in previous seasons. Ferrari’s solution is consequently broader than a conventional low-downforce wing package. The hanger flaps used with the higher-downforce configuration introduced in Hungary and retained at Zandvoort will be removed, but Ferrari is not expected to run a completely bespoke Monza rear wing. Instead, elements across the bodywork and wings will be revised, with no significant front-wing change anticipated.
A Monza-specific floor adaptation will also target drag reduction. Ferrari is set to return to the single vertical floor-board element previously used in Austria and Britain, rather than the later three-element arrangement. The latest Zandvoort floor remains the development baseline, but its components can still be adapted to suit the circuit.
Ferrari also evaluated removing the FTM, the small winglet ahead of the exhaust outlet. However, the team has ultimately opted to retain it, choosing to seek drag reduction elsewhere on the SF-26.
Ferrari has a new internal-combustion-engine specification ready through its second ADUO opportunity. The partial step is narrower than the company’s broader 2027 development work, but it is already race-ready. As outlined in Ferrari’s ADUO timing strategy, Monza is a logical introduction point.
Ferrari is considering aligning ADUO 2 with the fourth ICE and fourth turbocharger for Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who have each used three so far. No final decision has been made, but Monza offers a clear opportunity to combine a fresh power-unit pool allocation with the latest engine specification.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.