Ferrari brings engine update to Austria – but is keeping expectations in check

Scuderia Ferrari heads to Spielberg on the back of a Hamilton victory in Barcelona – and with an engine update under the bonnet. Team principal Fred Vasseur says ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix: “We’re heading to Austria full of confidence, buoyed by our positive performances in recent races, even though we’re well aware that there’s still a lot of work ahead of us and we must continue to focus on ourselves.”

Vasseur warns: Don’t change a thing

However, Lewis Hamilton’s victory in Barcelona – Ferrari’s first of the season and Hamilton’s first with the Scuderia – does not, for the time being, alter their approach, Vasseur emphasises: “We’ll approach this weekend with the same approach and mindset we’ve had since the start of the season, aiming to deliver clean races in every respect – from our performance on the track to the strategic decisions at the pit wall. We know that every weekend tells a different story, which is why we will continue to tackle the championship one race at a time.”

Ferrari with an engine update!

One thing, however, is new: Ferrari is bringing an engine update. This is linked to the ADUO rule. This allows all teams that are lagging behind in terms of the performance of the internal combustion engine component of the power unit – in other words, everyone except Red Bull Racing – to introduce improvements. Ferrari now has a new specification in the car on the engine-intensive circuit at Spielberg. Does this mean Ferrari is now in a position to put long-term pressure on championship leaders Mercedes?

Engine chief plays down expectations

Enrico Gualtieri, Technical Director for the power unit division, is deliberately playing down expectations. The Italian says: “The update we’re bringing to Spielberg is relatively minor and the result of the work carried out over the last few weeks to translate improvements from our development programme onto the track.”

Gualtieri emphasises: “This update is not a major step and, on its own, will not change the competitive landscape. What it does demonstrate, however, is the mindset of the team and our technical partners: to keep pushing forward and seize every opportunity to improve our overall package.”

Topic of the week

From major doubts to a major spectacle: why GP fans have reason to be delighted

Before the start of the season, critical voices dominated, but the World Championship rounds so far have shown that the rule changes are delivering exactly what was hoped for: excitement right up to the final lap.

Read more

TV program

Today

Budapest: Das Rennen Re-Live

FIA Formula One World Championship

26.07.2026 - 17:15

The engineer explains: “In a championship as fiercely contested as this one, it is unrealistic to expect a single update to fundamentally change the overall picture, particularly given the current homologation and development restrictions. Performance is built up gradually, not only through hardware changes but also through how effectively you optimise the overall package from race to race.’ So no complete overhaul at Scuderia? Only a look at the lap times in Saturday’s qualifying will really tell...