Ferrari is preparing to introduce what will be its fourth and most significant aerodynamic upgrade package of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the United States Grand Prix. The Austin upgrade is the final development package of this scale planned for the SF-26, while attention at Maranello has now largely shifted towards the development of next year's car, which will be completely different, both due to regulatory restrictions and fundamental aerodynamic choices.
The updates at the Circuit of the Americas will affect several areas of the car, with modifications to the floor, sidepods and upper bodywork. Unlike some of its main rivals, according to our information, Ferrari has decided not to radically change the aerodynamic concept of its sidepods.
McLaren and Mercedes, the latter in particular, have recently made significant changes to their concepts with their latest upgrades, substantially modifying the shapes and the way airflow travels along the sidepods. Neither team appears to have immediately achieved on track what it had seen in the windtunnel and CFD simulations.
Ferrari, on the other hand, has preferred to maintain greater continuity with the SF-26's current architecture. It is understood to have worked mainly on optimising its existing solutions, without making fundamental changes to the bodywork, with the main objective believed to be reducing drag as the car still suffers somewhat in this area.
The new bodywork will be accompanied by modifications to the cooling louvres, adapting hot-air extraction to the new sidepod geometries. Further cooling configurations are planned for the following Mexican GP, where Ferrari is expected to introduce larger openings to cope with the particularly demanding conditions imposed by the altitude.
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