Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Ferrari ran Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in a 200 km filming day at Monza to gather the data that will decide the final SF-26 specification for Miami, where a major upgrade package is expected to make its race debut.
The scale of the planned change is unusually large. Initial reports from Italy claimed Ferrari will arrive in Miami with more than 50% new parts on the car by the fourth race, a package team principal Frederic Vasseur had already flagged after Suzuka. With the current regulations still in their early phase, Ferrari is pushing hard on a steep development curve, but under the budget cap this is also the point where teams must choose carefully which gains are worth turning into production parts.
Monza was the logical place to run the test because it is one of the championship's most demanding tracks for energy recovery. Ferrari used the session to evaluate power unit behavior and updated engine software aimed at improving torque use at maximum power, even if that comes with a slight trade-off at lower revs and potentially a small increase in fuel consumption. The telemetry gathered there is expected to be decisive in selecting the final package that returns to the track in Miami.
The aerodynamic side of the program was just as important. The development path was set by Loic Serra, with Ferrari's aero group led by Diego Tondi measuring the SF-26's behavior and Matteo Togninalli overseeing the test operation. Reports from Italy said Ferrari used the day to assess floor and wing changes, with Miami set to bring a revised front wing, underfloor modifications and broader work aimed at cutting drag.
A key part of that running was the revised rotating rear wing that fans have nicknamed the "Macarena" wing. Ferrari had already tested the concept in Bahrain but had not raced it, and recent revisions were intended to bring it within the regulation's opening and closing values. AutoRacer.it reported that the updated device could be worth 8 to 10 km/h in straight-line mode, the configuration in which both front and rear wings are opened in the prescribed zones.
Weight reduction is another major element of the Miami package. Ferrari is reported to have started the season carrying extra kilos, and the latest work is meant to trim the SF-26 enough to make it immediately a few tenths faster. Italian reports also pointed to changes around the Halo and hydraulics, while further development of Ferrari's FTM system has not been ruled out.
The Monza running also gave Ferrari a first live check on cooling and correlation. Engineers were able to compare measured values with simulation data, even though the regulations limited the team to 200 km and required Pirelli's demo tires rather than standard Grand Prix rubber. That still offered a useful first read on whether the package behaves as expected before it is committed to race weekend use.
That matters even more because Miami is a Sprint weekend, leaving Ferrari only one practice session before Sprint Qualifying. By spending one of its two regulation-limited filming days on a closed Monza test, Ferrari has tried to remove as much uncertainty as possible before introducing what could be the most significant early-season rewrite of the SF-26.