- Ferrari is running a revised engine on its test bench in Maranello.
- The new unit has conceptual and structural differences from current hardware.
- Mercedes locked out the top two positions at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Ferrari are already running a revised 2026 power unit on their test bench in Maranello as they work to close that significant engine deficit to Mercedes, according to Sky Sport Italia commentator Matteo Bobbi.
Bobbi said in a YouTube video on March 18 that the new unit features “conceptual and structural differences” from the engine Ferrari are currently racing. The team was reportedly aware of the shortfall before its pre-season shakedown in Barcelona, meaning the development plan was already in motion before the cars first turned a wheel.
The second round of the season in Shanghai on March 15 showed the scale of the performance gap. Mercedes locked out the front two positions, with Kimi Antonelli winning from George Russell. Lewis Hamilton finished third for Ferrari, 25.267 seconds behind the leader. Charles Leclerc was fourth, a further 3.6 seconds back.
Hamilton on the deficit
Hamilton’s post-race comments, reported by ESPN, pointed directly at the power unit as the source of the gap.
“The car generally felt great, but I think it is on the straights. It’s a lot of time to be losing,” Hamilton said. “We really have to push so hard back in Maranello to improve on power. I think car-wise, the car feels great. I think we can compete with them corners, but when you’re down on power, it’s just the way it is.”
Leclerc added detail during qualifying, citing a 0.5-second loss on the long back straight between Turns 13 and 14 due to battery deployment issues.
Ferrari’s chassis is competitive through corners but loses ground wherever straight-line speed matters, the drivers have reported. This power unit deficit is now being addressed on the dyno.
From bench to race car
A dyno, or ‘test bench’, allows Ferrari to run the engine in controlled conditions, mapping torque and power curves while simulating race-distance stress on components. The step from a promising bench result to a legal, race-ready upgrade is more complicated, though.
The 2026 FIA technical regulations imposed a homologation deadline of March 1, after which engine designs are effectively sealed. Performance-driven modifications are restricted once a power unit is homologated.
However, the regulations also include a mechanism called ‘Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities’, designed to give manufacturers with large performance deficits a path to close the gap during the season.
Whether Ferrari’s revised concept qualifies under that framework, or whether the team has another regulatory route available, remains unclear. The $130 million power unit cost-cap adds a further constraint on how aggressively any manufacturer can redesign core components mid-season.
For now, the dyno is running. The question is how quickly a bench-tested concept can become an on-car fix under the new 2026 rules.
