(Motorsport-Total.com) – Ferrari sticks to the “hot” engine. The Italian Formula 1 power unit, designated 067/6, can operate with an intake air temperature of about 100 degrees, while all other power units in the field are only at values between 60 and 80 degrees.
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In Maranello, this innovative concept was implemented thanks to a cylinder head made of steel alloy, which allows significantly higher combustion chamber pressures compared to aluminum than with the competition.
The project, driven by Enrico Gualtieri’s team, is bold and revolutionary at the same time. This development direction will not be abandoned, even with the updates brought to the track via ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities).
According to rumors, the engine, which is set to debut at the Austrian Grand Prix with the first FIA-approved update, will significantly increase the air temperature at the intercooler inlet. Values between 110 and 115 degrees are being discussed.
The goal is to increase efficiency in the combustion chamber and halve the performance deficit compared to the reference unit. According to Maranello, this is the Mercedes engine, while according to FIA data, the most powerful internal combustion engine is said to be the Red Bull Ford DM01.
In both cases, Ferrari’s deficit is about 25 hp, and the hope is to reduce this to a maximum of ten hp, which could then potentially be made up with the second ADUO update.
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A prerequisite for this is that the FIA does not change its mind after repeated protests from Red Bull. Because the Bulls themselves do not see their first ever Formula 1 engine as a benchmark.
Thanks to the characteristics of the “hot” powertrain, Ferrari was able to grant important freedoms to the chassis and aerodynamics engineers. Due to the lower heat dissipation, the cooling system requires less cooling capacity to stay within reliability limits, and was therefore designed with smaller radiators.
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This allows for more aggressive aerodynamic shapes. The SF-26 is the only car with a triangular airbox without side “ears” on the roll bar. The FTM system with the flap, which allows hot exhaust gases to be blown out, also benefits from the advantages of the steel alloy cylinder head.
About seven hp are lost with the “plugging” of the exhaust, but this power loss is to be compensated by the higher downforce resulting from more efficient rear wing work and better air extraction at the diffuser.
The engine developers from Maranello are therefore not discarding the original concept, but are trying to exploit the full potential that the 067/6 can offer.
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