F1 | Ferrari, the sore point is the engine: the reasons for the delay

Enzo Ferrari stated that “aerodynamics is the compensation for those who cannot express horsepower from the engine”. Unfortunately for the Drake, at the moment it is precisely the engine that limits the ambitions of the Maranello team. There are many causes, some of which are outside the control of Ferrari, which will in any case have to reflect on the design choices made. The ADUO could be an opportunity to get closer to Mercedes engines, but it remains to be seen whether the Cavallino intends to develop the existing concept or start from a new one. The basic concept Vasseur has hinted several times that Maranello’s power unit department has not given priority to absolute power, but has opted for a compromise philosophy, considered better from the point of view of lap times. The engine, for example, was created to work at higher temperatures than would have been possible, losing efficiency, but reducing the necessary cooling work. All this made it possible to fit smaller radiators, with advantages in terms of lightness and aerodynamic resistance. Furthermore, the smaller turbo is just the tip of the iceberg of an engine concept that enhances reactivity and thrust when exiting corners over power at the end of the straight. After all, it is always more profitable to reach maximum speed as soon as possible rather than express very high peaks, also so as not to have to resort to the hybrid to compensate for the engine’s response delay. Not to be forgotten is the FTM, the flap mounted behind the exhaust terminal which ensures great advantages from an aerodynamic point of view. Inevitably, however, blocking the duct compromises the performance of the turbo and wastes more engine power to expel hot gases, reducing useful work. Therefore, the quality of the choices made is not to be evaluated solely in terms of horsepower, but based on the overall competitiveness of the SF-26, which is currently lagging significantly behind Mercedes. It will be interesting to see whether Ferrari will take advantage of the ADUO concessions to upgrade the existing engine or whether it will instead decide to start from a new concept, also in light of the evolution of the regulations. Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images Regulatory issues A crucial turning point for Ferrari’s fate was the FIA’s decision to lengthen the starting procedure, meeting the difficulties of those who were unable to charge the turbo in time and struggled to leave the pitch. Although it was impossible to overlook such a safety issue, the final decision seriously damaged the Cavallino and not only due to the advantage lost at the start. If a less powerful and more reactive engine concept was brought forward in Maranello, it was also to ensure that we were able to start, after having raised the issue several times with the FIA. Giving 5 seconds of warning before the traffic lights turned on effectively undermined Ferrari’s foresight, rewarding the competition’s design choices and nullifying their side effects. Another episode was the saga of the increase in the compression ratio of Mercedes engines, capable of identifying an opportunity in the ambiguity of the technical regulations, taking the FIA ​​by surprise. Nikolas Tombazis ensured that the advantage for the Brixworth power units is minimal, relegating the great media hype to a phenomenon of collective hysteria. In any case, part of Ferrari’s delay also arises from this, although it is impossible to say by how much. Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images For the Cavallino, the great opportunity to catch up on this front will be 2027. Next year the cold measurement test will disappear and it will be possible to create an engine with a higher compression ratio at ambient temperatures, which then stabilizes at the regulatory maximum of 16 once it reaches 130°C. The important thing will be not to focus solely on this, given that even the debuting Red Bull-Ford probably has an engine advantage over Ferrari, despite lacking Mercedes’ solution. Petrol Another big news for 2026 was the transition to sustainable fuels. Already in 2024, Vasseur identified the new petrols as an important area of ​​challenge, so much so that he stated that the game would be played above all around them and batteries. It is therefore legitimate to ask whether the choice of Shell, Ferrari’s historic partner, to develop a petrol with a strong biological component, unlike the predominantly synthetic ones of the competition, did not contribute to the engine’s delay. Copyright: Batchelor / XPB Images The new petrols, in reality, do not differ much from the previous ones in terms of chemical composition, as they are still mainly made up of hydrocarbons, i.e. hydrogen and oxygen molecules. The novelty lies in the origin of these elements, no longer of fossil origin, but derived from highly environmentally sustainable organic and/or synthetic components and processes. The entire extraction and production process must respect a maximum limit for carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, a sort of budget that determines the possibility of obtaining a certain chemical composition. In Maranello, Shell’s decision to focus on biological components will have to be evaluated from this aspect, keeping in mind that the final formulation of the petrol is made according to the engine concept. The 2027 match The only certainty is that Ferrari’s recovery will have to go through an improvement in thermal efficiency. Despite maintaining the same architecture and displacement as previous engines, the 2026 regulations have revolutionized combustion strategies, changing fundamental parameters such as the compression ratio, turbo pressure, petrol flow or the number of spark plug discharges. The Prancing Horse has room for improvement in interpreting all this and development will depend on what decisions are made for the 2027 and 2028 regulations. Increasing fuel flow and thermal power could reward some design choices and disadvantage others, which, together with the management of the ADUO, explains the divergence of opinion on the issue between Ferrari and Mercedes. Click here to add as a favorite source on Google Discover: you will find our content more easily!

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News , 2026-05-28 15:00:00