Ferrari have arrived at Zandvoort with five upgrades to the SF-26, targeting key aerodynamic areas as Lewis Hamilton pushes to close the championship gap.
The Scuderia are chasing Mercedes in both the drivers’ and constructors’ standings in the second half of the 2026 season.
Hamilton currently sits second in the drivers’ championship, 50 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli heading into the Dutch Grand Prix weekend.
Ferrari also trail Mercedes in the constructors’ standings, with a deficit of 72 points as the Italian team looks to mount a serious title challenge.
To address those gaps, Ferrari have confirmed a number of developments to the SF-26, as verified by the FIA ahead of the Zandvoort event.
The five upgrades are focused on three key areas of the car: the floor, the diffuser, and the beam wing, each targeting specific aerodynamic improvements.
Changes to the floor cover the floor body, floor board, and floor edge, with Ferrari targeting “a global increase in aerodynamic load across the entire operating range, combined with improved robustness of the underlying flow mechanisms, enhanced flow topology, and greater flow energy delivered to the rear diffuser.”
On the diffuser, Ferrari’s revised stays layout and updated expansion profile are designed to return “increased aerodynamic load, whilst still maintaining flow stability.”
The beam wing update is described as a minor revision, reworked to interact with the new rear diffuser with “particular attention put on flow quality.”
Further upgrades are already on the horizon, with a significant engine update planned for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza next month.
However, early signs at Zandvoort suggest the gains are not yet dramatic, with Ferrari limited to just one free practice session before competitive running began.
Charles Leclerc and Hamilton finished fourth and fifth respectively in FP1, with championship leader Antonelli topping the session.
Hamilton finished 0.190 seconds behind Antonelli in the practice session, while Leclerc was 0.289 seconds adrift of the Mercedes driver.
The tight timeframe for evaluating the upgrades means Ferrari will be working quickly to understand how effectively the new package performs around the demanding Zandvoort circuit.
With the constructors’ fight intensifying and Hamilton needing every point available, Ferrari’s development push at this stage of the season carries considerable importance.