‘Leaked information’ shows Ferrari made ‘critical’ calculation error with 2026 F1 engine

Follow us on Google Discover

Ferrari’s engine department had to accept a ‘transitional’ 2026 season after discovering flaws in their 2026 power unit development.

It’s believed that Ferrari are lacking around 30 horsepower compared to Mercedes, which could be a season-defining weakness. They started the year as the nearest challenger to the Silver Arrows but McLaren, who also use the best-in-class power unit, appear to have overtaken them.

Frustratingly for the drivers, Ferrari’s chassis might be the best on the grid based on the early evidence, but they don’t yet have the straight-line performance they need to win races.

Can Ferrari still win an F1 title in 2026?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Ferrari realised their engine F1 concept was flawed before 2026 season

‘Leaked information’ passed to Corriere dello Sport shows that there were ‘critical issues and failures’ in Ferrari’s ‘early years of research’ on the 2026 power units.

The team miscalculated the ‘energy efficiency achievable in the combustion chamber’, which meant that they were basing decisions on an ‘overly optimistic assessment’.

It emerged last autumn that Ferrari engine chief Wolf Zimmermann was joining Audi, and his successor Enrico Gualtieri has had to ‘correct course’ since taking over in the face of ‘significant budget constraints and tight deadlines’.

• READ MORE: Ferrari may now have to sacrifice their ‘rocket-launcher’ starts after spotting problem in the data

The result is that Ferrari have had to accept a ‘transitional’ season on the engine front. They didn’t have time to make all of the desired modifications to the power unit architecture, so they prioritised reliability and a base level of performance.

The expectation is that the revamped power unit won’t debut until 2027, even though Ferrari will have access to Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO).

Ferrari could receive £3.9m boost due to ADUO

After the Canadian GP later this month, the FIA will measure the performance of each engine manufacturer.

There have been some accusations that Ferrari are sandbagging to exaggerate the gap to Mercedes, but this is unlikely. The scale of their ADUO benefits will depend on whether they are two to four percent, or over four percent, behind.

They could be granted up to €4.5m (£3.9m) for extra development depending on the FIA’s findings.

While this doesn’t compare to Honda’s £14m assistance, it could still facilitate a major upgrade before the summer break, even if it’s ‘unthinkable’ that they will wipe out the 30-horsepower gap in one stroke.