Ferrari have utilised a different style to McLaren and Mercedes in their bid to improve the SF-26 for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in the last races of the 2026 season.

The Scuderia started the season as the second-best team on the grid, after only Mercedes made a better initial concept for the 2026 F1 regulations than the pride of Italy. But McLaren and more recently Red Bull have since surpassed Ferrari to emerge as Mercedes’ main rivals.

McLaren enjoyed an upturn in form around the summer break after overhauling the MCL40, as Lando Norris won in Hungary and the Netherlands (and should have won in Madrid). Red Bull then took their turn to take the battle to Mercedes, as Max Verstappen won in Malaysia and Singapore, while Ferrari have not won a Grand Prix over the past nine rounds since July.

Ferrari disagree with McLaren and Mercedes’ decisions to overhaul their aero concepts

Ferrari may be edging closer to returning to the top of a rostrum, however, after debuting a raft of aerodynamic upgrades at the United States Grand Prix that helped Leclerc secure P2.

The Monegasque would not rival Mercedes gem Andrea Kimi Antonelli for the win at COTA, having lost too much time while fighting Verstappen. But it is believed that Leclerc was 1.4s per lap quicker than Antonelli at the end of the United States GP once on the hard C2 tyres.

Ferrari introduced floor, sidepod and diffuser upgrades at COTA to better exploit the SF-26’s airflow, with their updates designed to increase the energy and stability of the wash toward the rear of Hamilton and Leclerc’s car. The Scuderia’s efforts also showed they disagree with how McLaren and Mercedes have each opted to try to develop their cars in recent months.

According to a report from Formula1.it, Ferrari chassis technical director Loic Serra set out to improve the airflow of the SF-26 without changing the car’s fundamental concept. Serra felt Ferrari needed to stay the course as they understood how the SF-26’s aero package has behaved this season, and that the Scuderia could thus improve the stability of their designs.

Mercedes, in contrast, recently introduced only their second major upgrade package of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. However, the Silver Arrows’ decision to adapt the W17’s concept by pushing the airflow towards the centre of the car threw the team off course, and it took until Antonelli’s win at COTA for one side of their garage to bounce back.

Likewise, McLaren are still trying to fully understand the MCL40 since they revised their aero concept by directing the airflow outwards. So, Ferrari did not want to fall into the same trap, even though their engineers in Maranello know it means they will find fewer potential gains.

Ferrari’s aero package has largely been one of the strongest concepts on the grid all year, as well, as the SF-26 has always thrived in low-to-medium speed corners. Instead, the Achilles heel for Hamilton and Leclerc this year has been Ferrari’s engine, despite their two updates.

Hamilton and Leclerc face waiting until 2027 for Ferrari to provide them with an engine that can compete with Mercedes and Red Bull’s power units on the straights. Ferrari had to scrap their plans to introduce a bigger turbocharger in 2026 as part of their ADUO2 PU as they did not feel their new design would be reliable enough, so are working to develop one for 2027.