Translation
“Just look at the data—we don’t have an advantage on the straights,” said a laconic Vasseur when asked directly about the engine. Clearly, we all know that for Ferrari, the very word “engine” must be treated with the same reverence as a prayer in a temple. Or at least with a certain degree of caution—but not for Hamilton: “We really need an engine update, because otherwise we have perhaps the best car.” The British champion is partly right; the SF-26 is an excellent car, perhaps comparable to the SF-70H when it suffered from the same power issue.
Certainly, Lewis has less and less time to waste in his quest to secure a victory with the Scuderia. Ferrari holds the advantage for 2027; naturally, the legendary partnership also needs results to survive, while it is well known that Bearman is in Maranello, whom Ferrari can promote whenever it wishes. However, Hamilton himself put in a solid race considering the serious damage he sustained when he tried to surprise Colapinto—a shared fault that Race Control immediately classified as a racing incident.
The Briton’s average pace was half a second off Leclerc’s, which roughly equates to the loss of downforce.
Leclerc tried to hold off Piastri by resorting to extreme energy harvesting to recharge as much as possible, while at the same time trying to let himself be overtaken to fight for the podium using overtake mode on the final lap. The Monegasque driver couldn’t be fast enough, three-tenths slower than Piastri with seven more laps on the tires. The reality hit harder than expected; it must also be said that the SF-26 must be driven closer to the limit when the tires are suffering. This is also detrimental in terms of temperature management; the power deficit leaves no margin for error and makes things difficult against the competition. Will the FTM exhaust design be scrapped in 2027? There is a broader issue at play. Will Ferrari be able to oppose it? It is unclear how firmly they will do so, as they await confirmation on whether they will receive the 2% or 4% ADUO allowance to mount their new engine at Spa-Francorchamps.
According to our colleagues at The Race, the FIA is reportedly considering removing the now-familiar set of elements in the exhaust box known as “flick-tail mode” from the regulations. Is this to prevent a development arms race, or are there other underlying issues?
At the time of writing, there is no certainty that this will happen, but discussions are on the horizon within a broader context. One might think that in the 2027 designs, all designers would be able to properly copy the aerodynamic system that Ferrari has devised around the exhaust. This could eliminate the advantage, so it would be better to remove a cost item, much like what happened, in principle, in 2020 with the Mercedes DAS.
What is known is that the net gain is worth the hours of study invested; the engineers in Maranello are continuing to develop the evolution of the device that provides rear downforce, which could be easily transferred to the 679 model. This suggests that Ferrari, in theory, has no intention of going along with such a technical strategy.
Rather, one wonders why there is a certain concern about not receiving the ADUO permits reserved for units with more than a 4% delay? Tombazis has already said that assessments will come after Canada. In terms of layout, the stop-and-go sections in Montreal should highlight the gap between the manufacturers. The data collected would suggest the opposite, but Vasseur’s cautious words seem to conceal a certain amount of concern. It is true that the French team principal is well aware of certain dynamics, which would make sense in terms of not taking anything for granted before it is time.
Nevertheless, many believe that losing the maximum ADUO and also facing a ban for the FTM, especially after the resources spent, would be a political defeat as well as a potential technical limitation—all too similar to those suffered in the past, the list of which is far too long.
The SF-26 may gain more power in due course with minor housing modifications
It is believed that, on paper, a new engine should be ready no sooner than what was formerly Race 12, now Race 10 in Belgium. Obviously, validation is necessary before homologating the parts following FIA approval, but if everything goes as it should, the SF-26 can be easily modified to accommodate the new unit at Spa.
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