- Ferrari plans a key Monza session during an unexpected break in the Formula 1 calendar
- The team aims to speed up the evaluation of SF-26 upgrades after early-season disruptions
- A quiet test could influence how Ferrari approaches the next phase of the championship
Ferrari is reportedly planning to run a private test at Monza in April to speed up upgrades for its SF-26 car after Formula 1 cancelled the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.
The team will use a 200-kilometre filming day at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza to gather data and assess new parts. The move comes during an unexpected five-week gap in the 2026 calendar caused by rising conflict in the Middle East, which forced the cancellations. The season now stands at 22 races.
Ferrari aims to use this break to close the gap to Mercedes, which has set the early pace. The SF-26 has shown promise but lacks consistent performance. Team leaders see the Monza session as a way to act quickly rather than wait for the next race in Miami.
A disrupted calendar creates an opportunity
F1 rarely pauses mid-season, but this gap has changed team plans. The cancelled races removed two early chances to test upgrades under race conditions. The break now stretches from late March to early May.
Ferrari sits in a tight fight near the front. The car has delivered moments of speed, yet it has not matched Mercedes across full race weekends. That gap has pushed the team to rethink its timeline.
Engineers have shifted focus from race preparation to development work. The team now treats this pause as a chance to improve key areas without travel pressure.
Ferrari’s Monza plan, a filming day with real intent
At Monza, Ferrari will run a session labelled as a filming day, but the goal goes beyond promotion. The team will test its first major upgrade package, which it had planned to introduce in Bahrain.
Those upgrades include aerodynamic changes that Ferrari has already explored in part. In China, the team tried its reversible “Macarena” rear wing and small winglets around the halo. Some parts raised concerns and did not make the final race setup.
That left Ferrari close to the front but not in control. Lewis Hamilton secured a podium finish, while Charles Leclerc finished just outside the top three. The team now wants clear answers on what works.
Filming days limit mileage and tyre use, but teams still collect useful data. Ferrari will use every lap to compare track results with simulation tools.
Development race resets before Miami
The Monza test will help Ferrari prepare for the Miami Grand Prix, where the upgrades are now set to debut. Engineers will study how the new parts behave in real conditions before committing to race use.
This period gives Ferrari something rare in modern Formula 1: uninterrupted time in the early part of the season. The team can refine its car without the rush of back-to-back races.
Monza will stay quiet during the session. There will be no fans, no points, and no race pressure. Only a few laps will run as data flows back to Maranello.
Ferrari hopes those laps will shape the next phase of its season. In a year already changed by events off the track, the team is moving fast to stay in the fight.
