Ferrari engine in horsepower deficit: design error or imperfect compromise?

Waiting for the ADUO “Another championship begins in Miami” said Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur. Unfortunately, however, the verdict of the weekend in Florida was not what the number one on the Scuderia di Maranello wall had hoped for. Ferrari brought a practically new version of the SF-26 which confirmed itself as an excellent car from an aerodynamic and mechanical point of view, but the growth of McLaren and Red Bull proved to be more evident than the step forward of a Rossa which awaits like manna from heaven the ADUO’s verdict to intervene on a power unit with a clear horsepower deficit compared to the competition. The latest issue of Autosprint on newsstands today questions the reasons why the Ferrari engine needs ADUO: “We don’t know if the Ferrari V6 was born a little weak due to a design error – we read in the article by Fulvio Solms – or if it is the result of an imperfect compromise in the eternal tug-of-war between aerodynamicists and engine engineers. Gualtieri’s staff may have conceded too much, but these crucial decisions are the responsibility of the director technician, therefore to Loic Serra”. We recently underlined what the timing of the FIA ​​verdict on the first tranche of the ADUO will be, only at the beginning of June will engine engineers be able to work on corrective measures that will debut almost two months later to the point that the historic weekly magazine described the ADUO as the rudder of an oil tanker and not as a switch that trips. Furthermore, it will be crucial to see in which bracket Ferrari will be placed: if the gap compared to the reference power unit is greater than 4%, the Maranello team will be entitled to two developments in 2026 and two in 2027: “But we are dealing without the innkeeper of Trattoria La Concorde – adds Autosprint – so we are waiting for the conclusions of the FIA”. Click here to add Formula Passion as your favorite source on Google Discover: you will find our content more easily!

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News , 2026-05-12 17:00:00