Ferrari is set to introduce substantial upgrades on its SF-26 Formula 1 car at the Miami Grand Prix next week.
The cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi grands prix due to the Iran war has altered not just the calendar but also the update schedule: the new parts teams were to bring to the Middle Eastern rounds were postponed to Miami.
Ferrari consequently performed a ‘filming day’ in Monza to evaluate some of its own upgrades, with a maximum of 200km – which equates to 34 laps on that track – on demonstration tyres provided by Pirelli. Many fans attempted – and managed – to catch a glimpse of the SF-26.
Comparison of the Ferrari SF-26 rear wing during the filming day
The Scuderia has been working on an updated version of its rotating rear wing, which first appeared in Bahrain pre-season testing, then in Free Practice 1 at the Chinese Grand Prix. This was just a first iteration of a wing that was initially scheduled to debut later in the season.
That’s why Ferrari tested its updated wing in Monza, with the endplate area, which houses the actuator, also largely redesigned. The endplates’ geometry is now more angular and less rounded at the top near the Italian flag.
The most interesting change concerns the position of the actuator within the endplate: the protrusion is now more oblique and closer to the main plane, enabling a different management of the air flow.
This is an area many teams have been focusing on, giving the endplate profile a three-dimensional shape to alter the air flow. The side view shows the mounts connecting the first movable element to the mainplane when the wing is closed have been retained.
Comparison of the Ferrari SF-26 rear wing during the filming day
The pillars, whose function is not just structural anymore but also aerodynamic, have also been redesigned. Previously tapered near the top, they now have greater depth with their width extended in the upper section.
Another new, intriguing feature is the presence of a vertical element positioned centrally above the second movable flap; its function has left room for speculation.
Meanwhile, two small aerodynamic appendages have reappeared on both sides of the halo in order to manage airflow around the cockpit and the driver’s helmet, an area where turbulence easily forms. This idea was also adopted by Red Bull, as the team’s own filming day showed.
Ferrari SF-26
Photo by: Federico Manoni / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Ferrari’s update package for Miami also includes a tweaked front wing and floor, which are two of the most sensitive areas under the new regulations, with varying approaches across the grid and substantial room for improvement as this new technical cycle begins.
Ferrari has used the break to work intensively on updates but also on data analysis, attempting to close the gap to Mercedes while waiting for the ADUO mechanism to allow the implementation of its planned power unit upgrades.
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