Ferrari may have to make ‘last-minute’ change to Lewis Hamilton’s car if it rains at Spa

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Ferrari are working tirelessly to reduce their speed deficit to Mercedes. They have come up with a solution for the Belgian Grand Prix, but it could prove useless if it rains.

Ferrari claimed a surprise win at the British GP through Charles Leclerc. They expected to be six to seven tenths off the pace, having been down 20kph to Mercedes in Austria, but they instead took the Sprint pole through Lewis Hamilton and scored a double podium on Sunday.

Heading into the Belgian Grand Prix, the team will have some newfound optimism, as while Mercedes were still the fastest car at Silverstone, they were much closer in the high-speed sections. Ferrari are planning to introduce more technical innovations to close the gap at Spa.

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Ferrari may have to make ‘last-minute’ change to blown exhaust setup if it rains at Spa

Ferrari removed the ‘parachute’ on Hamilton’s car at Silverstone, making it more streamlined. Mercedes can no longer rely on rivals being down on power in the high-speed section, and the Maranello outfit are pushing to catch them.

At Spa, the team are planning to introduce a redefined version of the Macarena wing. The FIA are investigating the rear wing concept after Max Verstappen’s two accidents in Austria and Silverstone, but Ferrari believe theirs is compliant with the regulations.

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Furthermore, Ferrari will run without the blown exhaust at Spa. The STM system, which channels hot gases towards the diffuser at the front of the exhaust, has been banned by the FIA for 2027.

Ferrari junior Dino Beganovic tested the concept in Austria, giving the team extensive mileage in preparation for the Belgian GP. As per a report from MARCA, the aim is to ‘reduce downforce at the rear’ by removing the STM system and thus improve top speed.

However, the team could run into a problem. The weather at Spa is notoriously unpredictable, giving engineers a headache over setup choices.

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If it does rain – the forecast shows the potential for it on Sunday – Ferrari could have to make a ‘last-minute’ change to the SF-26 and play it safe with the high-downforce configuration.

The latest updates are the ‘most innovative and fastest package’ Ferrari have produced thus far in 2026. But it could all be for nothing if the weather plays its hand in the race, which would give Mercedes another advantage.