The Italian Grand Prix is approaching and Ferrari is facing a crucial decision regarding its power unit for the SF-26. The Maranello team has received two upgrade tokens through the Additional Improvements and Opportunities (ADUO) system, but now it must determine whether to use the renewed engines during the Monza event.
The decision will be made at the end of this week, once the components for the race are approved. Although the process may seem outdated, its complexity is due to the current regulations that have complicated the testing schedule.
The summer closure period has not been favorable for the team, as the rest of the Maranello factory has extended testing times. The latest version of the engine, identified as 067/6, needs to complete tests that require a minimum of six grands prix without reliability issues before being homologated.
Even though the engine department of Gestione Sportiva has 21 test benches, economic restrictions force the team to use only two or three of them, which prolongs execution time. Any reliability issue that requires a small adjustment can cause the entire process to restart, a meticulous job that can be affected by a simple aesthetic failure.
Ferrari is waiting for the final warm-up to install the ADUO2 engine in the SF-26s that will be driven by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in Monza. Additionally, the vehicles will feature a special paint job to commemorate Michael Schumacher‘s era with the brand.
This new engine is expected to be a six-cylinder with around 15 more horsepower and a different power curve, aiming to reduce the disadvantage against Mercedes and improve the hybrid system’s charge phase.
In addition to improvements in the Garrett turbos, the combustion chamber has been modified to better utilize the new fuel approved by Shell in Monza. This performance increase is due to the combination of high-heat fuel with the advanced combustion engine.
However, Ferrari does not enter Monza with the goal of winning, as the circuit characteristics do not favor the SF-26 on paper. Nevertheless, the team hopes to stay close to Mercedes during the qualifying sessions, which should be the favorites.
Another point to consider is that local driver Kimi Antonelli will also suffer an engine penalty at his home Grand Prix, starting at least from the twentieth position.
The Italian GP is expected to be a key moment to establish the engine hierarchy after the available adjustments, on a circuit where electric load is challenging to achieve. According to the latest evaluation of the engines published by the FIA, Red Bull remains the graphical reference in internal combustion engines, while Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda, and Audi will need to show significant work to catch up.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_677c3719a8c52ef18f71641f2c778ea44df64f4b