The Scuderia will introduce the third engine of the season, with modifications authorized by the FIA after exceeding the 4% deficit compared to the reference. Engineers have worked on the combustion chamber and a new fuel.
Ferrari faces the Austrian Grand Prix with an important new feature on its SF-26, the Scuderia will debut at the Red Bull Ring its third engine of the season, a 067/6 that incorporates the first upgrades authorized by the FIA thanks to the ADUO program (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities). The Italian team has obtained the possibility of carrying out two developments during the season and another two next year, after the difference measured by the FIA technical stewards was above 4% compared to the thermal engine of Red Bull Powertrains Ford, which surprisingly has been declared as the current grid reference.
The engine engineers led by Enrico Gualtieri have launched a first intervention through which they hope to reduce the gap to the Mercedes power unit, considered by everyone (except the FIA) as the true reference point, the work has focused on the combustion chamber, where a steel alloy cylinder head has been used that allows reaching pressures and temperatures that would be impossible to achieve with a traditional engine made of aluminum alloys.
Ferrari has also introduced a new Shell fuel with higher calorific value, and has raised the intake air temperature to 110 degrees (compared to the current 100) in the feed phase, the result is a more compressed fluid that allows burning more particles and releasing less waste in emissions, a significant advance in engine efficiency.
The Scuderia arrives at the Red Bull Ring after Lewis Hamilton's spectacular victory in Barcelona. This triumph was not in the Cavallino team's plans and has demonstrated the potential of the SF-26 to beat Mercedes and break the streak of six consecutive wins that seemed unbreakable. The aerodynamic upgrade package that debuted in Barcelona has worked perfectly, allowing more efficient aerodynamics to cover the engine power deficit compared to Mercedes.
However, Ferrari does not want to generate too many expectations and prefers to remain cautious. The right combination is to find the perfect balance between performance and reliability.
At the start of the championship, the focus was more on reliability, while now it is time to start getting the most out of performance, the second ADUO, which should come into operation in the Netherlands or Monza, will incorporate a new design turbocharger that will allow a step forward in power unit development.
Ferrari hopes that this first engine evolution, combined with the aerodynamic upgrades, will allow them to maintain the momentum gained in Barcelona and continue closing the gap to Mercedes in the fight for the constructors' championship.
