Ferrari’s Monza engine upgrade faces reliability checks
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 28, 2026
Ferrari engine upgrade
Ferrari arrived at Monza with a clear straight-line speed plan, and the centerpiece was an ADUO-permitted upgraded Formula 1 engine. The power-unit update included a revised combustion chamber and a turbocharger, and Ferrari expected the package to add about 15 horsepower. That kind of gain matters at the Italian Grand Prix, where long straights reward top-end speed and punish cars that drag too much air. Ferrari also introduced new Shell fuel for the Monza package, with the team expecting that change to improve straight-line speed as well. The move gave Ferrari multiple tools to chase a cleaner run down the track, and it came as the team looked for a sharper response after a tough stretch in the championship fight. Monza has a way of exposing where a car stands on power and efficiency, so Ferrari built its update around both.
Ferrari Monza package
Ferrari did not stop at the engine room. The team also planned a more aerodynamically efficient version of its Macarena rear wing at Monza, along with blown-exhaust tweaks that could be adjusted for lower drag. That combination pointed to the same goal as the engine and fuel changes, more speed in the places that matter most at Monza and less resistance everywhere else. The package also carried Ferrari’s visual identity for the weekend, with a Michael Schumacher tribute livery on the cars. Ferrari had already shown one-off race suits for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, adding another layer to the weekend presentation around the team’s update. The tribute element fit the setting, but the technical work did the real heavy lifting. Ferrari wanted the car to cut through Monza with less drag, carry better pace on the straights and make the most of every small improvement the updated power unit could deliver. That is where the team expected the package to pay off.
Ferrari title push
The Monza updates landed at a time when Ferrari was trying to restart its title push after back-to-back non-podium finishes. A two-race points swing left Ferrari 87 points behind Mercedes in the constructors’ standings, so the margin for error has already narrowed. Ferrari hopes the engine upgrade will reduce that gap, but the team knows one weekend will not settle the season. Fred Vasseur said winning will depend more on execution than pure potential, a message that matched the shape of the challenge. Ferrari has added speed parts, fuel and aero changes, but the team still has to put the pieces together cleanly on track. The timing also offered a rival wrinkle. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli is set to take a back-of-the-grid penalty for a full power-unit change, which could affect the competitive picture around Ferrari at Monza. Even so, the core task remains the same for Ferrari. The upgrades need to work, the drivers need to use them well and the team needs a mistake-free weekend if it wants the Monza package to turn into real progress in the standings.
