A Ferrari engine upgrade will arrive at the Italian Grand Prix, the Scuderia spending the first of the development slots the FIA’s ADUO mechanism has handed it as it chases home glory at Monza.
The move follows confirmation that the Italian manufacturer sits more than 4% adrift of the ADUO benchmark.
That is the convergence measure that permits a lagging manufacturer extra in-season engine development under the 2026 regulations, and is therefore allowed two upgrades this season.
Red Bull remains the benchmark at the top of the FIA’s engine ranking, and gets nothing.
What the Ferrari engine upgrade actually changes
The unit signed off by engine chief Enrico Gualtieri carries a revised combustion chamber and turbocharger, with a forecast gain of around 15 horsepower that Ferrari expects to halve its deficit to the Mercedes power unit, still regarded as the best all-round package on the grid.
A new Shell fuel should add more again, reports Motorsport.com, with engineers targeting peak power and a different torque delivery to improve how the electrical energy is distributed.
Aerodynamically, Ferrari will run a more efficient version of the Macarena rear wing not used at previous events, along with its blown exhaust, which can be tweaked again if Monza demands still less drag.
Why the Italian GP matters now
Ferrari has not reached the podium in the last two rounds, though Fred Vasseur insisted the Dutch GP race pace was “at least stronger than Mercedes”, telling Sky Sports that qualifying and execution were the problem rather than the car.
With a Michael Schumacher tribute livery already confirmed and championship leader Kimi Antonelli serving a grid penalty for Mercedes, Ferrari will not get a more inviting weekend to restart a title charge that has stalled.
