Wind tunnel tests shape a bolder 2027 car on a solid chassis
Ferrari has used the numerous wind tunnel iterations behind its latest SF-26 upgrade to explore different design directions for 2027, and the programme points to a markedly different aerodynamic character for next year’s car. According to The Race, the 2027 challenger will feature substantially different aerodynamic solutions from the SF-26, while retaining elements of the current project, most notably the chassis. Work on the 2027 power unit is also continuing in parallel.
Austin Upgrade Marks Final Major SF-26 Package
The revelation arrives at a pivotal moment in the 2026 season. The United States Grand Prix in Austin is expected to be the final event at which Ferrari introduces an aerodynamic package of this significance. Italian reports indicate that the SF-26 will receive a new floor, revised sidepods and updated bodywork at the Circuit of the Americas, with some weight reduction also anticipated. After Austin, development of the car is expected to be limited mainly to circuit-specific adaptations.
The Austin package itself reflects a deliberate choice. During its development, Ferrari ran numerous wind tunnel iterations that explored different geometries and bodywork concepts, with the aerodynamic choices for the 2027 project firmly in mind. Some of those more radical alternatives were examined in detail, but the team decided against committing a significant proportion of its resources to such a substantial transformation of the SF-26’s sidepods.
Practical considerations also surround the Austin upgrade. Reports indicate that Ferrari’s engineers have been developing a new floor, sidepods and radiator intakes, and that wind tunnel tests produced positive results that allowed the package to be approved in good time for the United States Grand Prix. The first sector at the Circuit of the Americas, with its high lateral loads, will place heavy demands on both the SF-26 and the Pirelli tyres. Ferrari hopes the changes will deliver more downforce, less drag and a wider operating window for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Chassis Continuity and Power Unit Work
The SF-26 has proved a sound platform. Ferrari presented it in January as the 72nd Formula 1 car in its history and the first designed entirely under the new regulations, and The Race notes that it has shown a good underlying design throughout the season, even as engineers continue to seek more performance from the underside of the car. That pursuit explains the floor changes planned for Austin.
Continuity in the chassis is a significant part of the story. The Race describes it as one of the most convincing aspects of the 2026 car, and retaining its core characteristics gives Ferrari’s engineers a stable foundation on which to build a different aerodynamic package. When Ferrari unveiled the SF-26 at Fiorano in January, Technical Director for Chassis Loïc Serra explained that the team had dedicated significant time to the concept phase and ensured the architecture would allow enough flexibility for in-season development.
The power unit remains the other half of the equation. The 2026 regulations eliminated the MGU-H and raised the MGU-K output to 350 kW, increasing the electrical contribution to overall performance. Ferrari’s Power Unit Technical Director, Enrico Gualtieri, said at the SF-26 launch that the new rules made the power unit more integral than ever to the overall car concept, requiring the architecture to be rethought from the beginning with a focus on efficiency, integration and energy management. The interaction between chassis, aerodynamics and engine will again shape Ferrari’s competitiveness.
Balancing the 2026 Season Against 2027
For any leading team, balancing the present against the future is seldom straightforward. Continued development of the SF-26 serves Hamilton and Leclerc over the remaining races, while the 2027 programme competes for the same wind tunnel time, simulation capacity and engineering attention. Ferrari’s willingness to draw a line under major SF-26 packages after Austin suggests a clear prioritisation of next season over marginal gains now.
What the Reporting Confirms
It is important to place the reporting in context. Formula 1 teams rarely disclose technical intentions this early, and no detailed specification of the 2027 car has been made public. The direction described by The Race outlines Ferrari’s development path, and the final design will depend on wind tunnel correlation, regulatory clarifications and the lessons learned from the remaining 2026 races. Readers should treat the broad direction as well sourced, and the finer technical detail as subject to change.
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What to Watch Next for Ferrari
Several questions will define the next phase. First, how effectively the Austin package delivers the downforce, drag and operating window Ferrari is targeting. Second, how quickly attention at Maranello pivots to the 2027 programme once circuit-specific adaptations replace major aerodynamic steps. Third, how the 2027 power unit, developed in parallel, integrates with a chassis that is being carried forward and an aerodynamic concept that is being rewritten. Each will offer a clearer indication of whether Ferrari’s strategy of continuity and change can close the gap to its rivals.
The message from Maranello is one of measured ambition: refine the car, protect what works, and rebuild what must change for 2027. The wind tunnel is where that balance is being struck, and Austin is its first public test.
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