Ferrari is awaiting official FIA approval before introducing its upgraded Formula 1 power unit, with the Austrian Grand Prix pencilled in as the target debut.
The updated engine pushes the concept of its steel-alloy cylinder head even further than before, allowing combustion chamber temperatures to reach levels that would cause structural failures in a conventional aluminium design.
Shell has developed a new fuel specifically for this configuration, working in close collaboration with Enrico Gualtieri’s engine department at Maranello.
The team will ship the third version of its 067/6 power unit to Spielberg, featuring modifications permitted under the ADUO, or Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities regulations.
Ferrari has so far been running a so-called hot engine, with intake air entering the intercooler at temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Celsius, compared to the typical 60 to 70 degrees seen in conventional designs.
From the Austrian Grand Prix onward, that thermal limit is set to be pushed beyond 115 degrees Celsius, representing a significant step in the engine’s operating parameters.
The higher temperature and pressure inside the combustion chamber will allow a greater proportion of fuel particles to burn, producing a more efficient combustion process and more mechanical work from the same energy.
The combined effect of the new fuel and engine modifications is expected to help reduce Ferrari’s horsepower deficit, though it remains difficult to isolate how much performance each element individually contributes.
Lewis Hamilton’s victory in Barcelona provided a major morale boost for the Maranello outfit, with Ferrari also introducing its second aerodynamic upgrade package of the season at that race, following the one first seen in Miami.
The updated aerodynamic configuration, developed under Loic Serra, helped Ferrari demonstrate superior tyre management over the Barcelona race distance, ending a run of six consecutive victories for Mercedes.
Ferrari will nonetheless face stiff competition in Styria, with Red Bull having scheduled the debut of a major upgrade package at its home circuit in Austria.
The team is also working to understand the electronic failure that left Charles Leclerc without power steering, brake-by-wire, and active aerodynamic systems during the Spanish Grand Prix, with engineers examining potential links to an incident at Antony Noghes in Monaco.