RIVALS COPY FERRARI—THE SF-26 PUSH CONTINUES

Ferrari’s most distinctive 2026 aerodynamic ideas are appearing elsewhere on the Formula 1 grid, while Maranello continues developing the SF-26 rather than protecting resources for next season.

Ferrari introduced an exhaust-mounted winglet during pre-season testing to add rear downforce, followed by a rotating rear-wing concept that changes position between cornering and straight-line modes. The exhaust device has since been widely copied, while Red Bull has adopted its own rotating-wing solution and McLaren has tested a related design.

McLaren technical director Neil Houldey acknowledged that his team began exploring the concept after seeing Ferrari’s version. Red Bull, however, is understood to have developed its design independently. Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur called the wider adoption a reward for the engineers who pursued the original ideas, while emphasizing that podiums—not compliments—remain the objective.

That pursuit will continue through the end of 2026. Ferrari plans to introduce smaller upgrades race by race rather than waiting for occasional major packages, with aerodynamic changes and its second engine update expected at Monza. Vasseur says the program remains within Ferrari’s cost-cap plan as the team attempts to close the gap to Mercedes.