Let’s explore the key details of the Prancing Horse’s new single-seater: great care has been taken with the shape of the sidepods, reflecting a particular focus on airflow. On the front profile, the actuators that adjust the flap angles (active aerodynamics) are integrated into the side panels

Ferrari has unveiled the design of the new SF-26, the single-seater with which the Scuderia will tackle the 2026 season, characterized by a massive regulatory overhaul in terms of aerodynamics and power units. The first images of the SF-26 reveal—although it is fair to consider the current version a transitional one compared to what we will see in Melbourne at the first race—some distinctive elements of the design. Not only has the team adopted a push-rod layout for both the front and rear axles, thereby abandoning the front pull-rod setup—which on the SF-25 never provided drivers with the correct driving feel when entering corners—but

Starting with the front wing, what is interesting is not so much the shape of the profiles as elements such as the actuators that adjust the flap angle to activate active aerodynamics, which are integrated into the side panels. The nose cone is connected to the wing via short, curved struts. But the most interesting part—which highlights solutions that are not merely sketched out but deeply thought through—is at the side panels, where the air intakes positioned high up, as on the previous car, conceal within the deep channel below the entrance to a bypass duct that then vents at the base of the engine cover. These elements give us the impression—when examined alongside the Power Unit’s dynamic intake, which has an almost triangular cross-section with rounded edges but, above all, is extremely small compared to the competition—that the study of the SF-26’s internal fluid dynamics has taken a very different path from that of the other single-seaters seen so far.

serrated fin—  Essentially, this provides a very significant clue regarding the attention paid, above all, to the packaging of the power unit and its radiators and heat exchangers. The car’s rear end, moreover, appears very narrow, especially at the rear hot-air outlet, indicating a focus on flow management that will in fact also be instrumental in extracting air from the underbody through the diffuser. Of interest is the large fin on the engine cover, which in fact partially replicates last year’s version, characterized by a serrated profile. Finally, the reduction of the wheelbase to 3,400 mm, as per the regulations, has resulted in a noticeable, though not excessive, rearward shift of the cockpit. Ultimately, this is a single-seater that conceals many refined features beneath a provisional livery that will undergo substantial changes before Melbourne.