The month of stoppage allowed the Maranello team to make many changes to the single-seaters that took to the track in the first three GPs of the season
For all the teams, the Miami GP this weekend effectively represents a new beginning. The long five-week break from Japan, generated by the cancellation of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, was exploited by all the technical offices to prepare particularly large evolutionary packages for the single-seaters. Ferrari has made a notable effort in this regard and the SF-26 that we will see in Florida will be a profoundly different version from the one that contested the first three races.
aerodynamics
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In practice, as regards the aerodynamic appearance of the car, the evolution concerns every area, from the front to the rear. Starting from a revised and corrected version of the front wing in terms of flaps and side bulkheads, with a different shape also of the main profile. The brake cooling air intakes are also different, with particular attention to the profile of the vents. The divergent area and the leading edge of the bottom will present modifications at the level of mini profiles with the function of vortex generators. Furthermore, a non-negligible refinement work will concern the area of the sub-panel, i.e. the channel under the lower edge of the sides. The bottom will have a different shape both at the level of the lateral edge in the area of the expansion profile and in front of the rear wheels with different blowings and profiles that direct the flow towards the rear axle. Touch-ups, then, not visible from the outside concern the base of the diffuser and its trailing edge. Last, but not least, the rear wing with the completely foldable flap, the so-called Macarena.
evolution
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In essence, Ferrari, which had already originally planned a large aerodynamic package for Bahrain, has in fact completed it, especially for the changes related to the surface with some elements that would have been introduced in Canada, following the original development schedule. The evolution of the aerodynamic design actually tends to perfect the aerodynamic behavior but, considering the adoption of the Macarena, with clear performance implications specifically on straights, reducing resistance in favor of, albeit marginal, lower energy consumption. In any case, from our sources, the aerodynamic maps appear not to have undergone substantial changes, except for a reduction in the dynamic effects of load transfers when navigating fast bends characterized by variable radii. It is correct to reiterate that alongside these changes Ferrari will obviously adopt the revised rules for the management of the electric charge, but from which it is not conceivable that it will derive any specific benefit, as they are common to all. Nonetheless, it is equally correct to remember that during the last filming day held in Monza, the changes to the energy management software were not simply those linked to the regulatory changes in view of Miami, but rather a real revision of the PU charging algorithms carried out by the staff directed by Enrico Gualtieri. Something certainly not capable of significantly reducing the gap from the Mercedes power unit, for which the Aduo (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) will instead be crucial, which can be exploited after Monaco, and on which the work of the latest addition to the Scuderia’s engine department, Maxime Martinez, new Power Unit Performance Engineer, is totally focused. In short, over the last month the Maranello shipyard has worked tirelessly to bring to Florida a less vulnerable SF-26 in qualifying but also in the last phase of the race, the one with almost empty tanks. Something that could confirm what Vasseur, but also other team principals (Andrea Stella) maintain: the 2026 season from Miami could follow a different script from what we have seen so far. In Maranello they believe it and the fans hope so. SF-26
sf-26
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The SF-26 will feature an aerodynamic evolution in virtually every area, from the front wing with revised flaps and wing profile and bulkheads. New appendages at the base of the halo. The bottom is different at the level of the divergent i, lateral edge and blowholes in front of the rear wheels. The subframe is also different. And finally, the Macarena wing.
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