Last Updated on April 6 2026, 1:50 pm
Ferrari have made a solid start to the 2026 Formula One season, their drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton lie third and fourth in the title race and despite a disappointing outing in Japan, the Scuderia is second behind Mercedes.
Their power unit is a step below that of the Mercedes team with estimates suggesting it is 20-30bhp down on the Brixworth design. Unlike last time we had a huge power unit rule change, this time the FIA have instigated a catch up mechanism for powertrains more than 2% down on the leader in the field.
The framing of the regulation states that “after the sixth round” in Miami the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) for the engine manufacturers will kick in. With the cancelation of the two April races in the middle east, the wording of this rule will need revising.
FIA huge F1 meeting booked for April 9
Round 6 now will be at the Monaco Grand Prix across the first weekend in June yet despite bickering over the semantics of the initial regulation wording, the spirit was clear. This weeks April 9 meeting between the FIA and all the F1 stakeholders will firm up this deadline along with discussing the enormous impact the electrical deployment and harvesting are having on the racing.
Whilst Max Verstappen has been scathing over the new F1 racing, F1 elder statesman Fernando Alonso has been equally critical of the new regulations and the challenge it sets for the drivers. “It’s gone, I told you in Bahrain testing that the chef could drive the car, now, maybe not the chef, but 50% of the team members could drive Suzuka,” the Spaniard commented in Japan.
“As I’ve said a few times already, the high-speed corners have now become the charging station for the car,” he said. “So you go slow there and charge the battery in the high-speed, and then you have full power on the straights, so driver skill is not needed anymore, it is no longer a challenge in the high-speed corners.”
The enforced break due to the war in Iran means that most of the terms will be developing upgrades for their cars and Ferrari intend to test theirs too. They have booked a date for a ‘filming day’ in Monza on April 22, a track where energy management will be at a premium.
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Ferrari to test in Monza
After the debacle at the season opener in Melbourne, Monza was selected for the test and a number of other teams too are reported to be booking filming days in the Royal Park near Milan. The original plan in Maranello was ton split the upgrades to the SF-26 across the two middle eastern races in a break from the Enrico Cardille preference for one big upgrade every now and then.
Cardille left the team for Aston Martin last season and there is a new philosophy amongst the Scuderia engineers. Despite Loic Serra’s intent to introduce upgrades in incremental small packages this is now not possible for April and a revised floor will be run for 200km at the filming day.
In addition there are other aerodynamic changes to be tested including new cooling elements for the searing heat of Miami. Others are focused around reducing the weight of the SF-26 along with the return of the ‘halo wings’ which were dropped mid-way through the weekend in Suzuka.
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Halo winglets set to return
Ferrari had designed two small winglets which were fitted under the ‘windscreen’ regulations, but they were removed before qualifying due to questions over the nature of the composite material they were constructed from. They will return and be compliant with the composite specifications in the FIA regulations. Also to be tested is the ‘Macarena wing 2.0’ last seen in the practice sessions in China.
The revolutionary rear wing rotates through 180 degrees when opening and closing and it is believed to bring significant aerodynamic advantages when open. Like all the other rear wings when open it reduces drag along the straights, but the Macarena wing does more than this, it introduces an element of lift to the rear of the car again improving its aerodynamics.
As it rotates into its closed position, briefly during the 400ms allowed for this transition it behaves like a huge parachute or aero brake. Ferrari elected not to run the wing in competitive sessions given their concerns over its reliability and a small amount of instability it was creating at the rear of the SF-26.
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Ferrari macarena wing 2.0
There are some aerodynamical alternations to the Macarena wing 2.0 and the new version will be lighter and have a greater structural stability. With testing for the part scheduled for Monza in April, its introduction will most likely come in Canada due to the fact that Miami is a Sprint weekend with just an hour of free practice time to decide on setup.
Despite being bested last tie out in Suzuka by McLaren, Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur claims the team have received a huge morale boost. “It’s the third podium in a row. We want to get more, but I think it was a very, very strong drive from Charles at the end with Russell,” said Vasseur. “It was important for us to keep Mercedes behind and Russell behind us. The last 10 laps, it showed also to everybody at the factory and to the team that we can do it. It means that it’s important and it’s the best way to prepare for the break.”
Even when George Russell overtook Leclerc into the chicane, the Ferrari blew past its Mercedes rival down the start.finish straight ad into turn one. The SF-26 have proven in close combat it is a match for the much vaunted Mercedes W17 although when in clean air at the front of the race, Kimi Antonelli proved that the Brackley based squad remain a step ahead of the competition.
NEXT ARTICLE: Analysis reveals: How McLaren cost Oscar Piastri’s win in Japan
Last Updated on April 6 2026, 12:59 pm
One line from the post-race analysis at the Japanese Grand Prix cuts straight to the heart of what unfolded. ‘The question is not whether Antonelli was faster. We know he was. The question is, why did McLaren hand Antonelli the easy win?’ This verdict, delivered by former F1 race strategist Ruth Buscombe, encapsulates a race that was decided less by outright speed and more by a series of decisions made in the pit lane.
Explaining on her YouTube channel, Buscombe also identified the pivotal moment in the race, explaining that “everything before the safety car is a chess game; everything after it is the consequence”. McLaren played the opening well at Suzuka, but when the key decisions arrived, they blinked.
These conclusions are based on the analysis of one of the most respected strategic minds in the paddock. Ruth has worked with teams including Haas and Sauber, building a reputation for clear, data-driven race breakdowns…. CONTINUE READING
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13 and a career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media. Having trained in investigative journalism and contributed to several European sports outlets, Hunt brings rigour and polish to every article. His role is to sharpen analysis, check facts and ensure TJ13’s daily output meets the highest editorial standards.
