Ferrari has wrapped up a tightly controlled filming day at Monza, completing the full allocation of 200 kilometres with Charles Leclerc in the morning and Lewis Hamilton in the afternoon.
Although officially promotional in nature, the session carried major technical significance: it marked the first on‑track appearance of the Scuderia’s Miami upgrade package and the first opportunity to validate the car under the revised FIA energy‑management regulations made official on 20 April.
A day split between drivers
Leclerc opened the running shortly after 9 a.m., completing just over 100 kilometres before handing the SF‑26 to Hamilton for the afternoon segment.
The split was deliberate: with the regulations requiring the car to remain in a single configuration throughout a filming day, Ferrari could not perform back‑to‑back comparisons. Instead, the focus was on collecting clean, uninterrupted data across two driving styles and two track conditions.
Both drivers worked through a structured programme that extended beyond aerodynamics. The FIA’s updated energy‑deployment rules — aimed at improving raceability and reducing the extreme sensitivity of hybrid systems — have reshaped how teams must manage harvesting and deployment across a lap.
Ferrari used Monza’s long straights and heavy braking zones to gather reference data for Miami, where energy management is expected to be a decisive performance factor.
Lewis staying warm any way he can in Monza 🥰 pic.twitter.com/F7EhQFvhvd
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) April 22, 2026
New Wings, Revised Floor, and the Return of the “Macarena”
According to Il Corriere della Sera, Ferrari brought a broad set of updates to Monza: a new front and rear wing specification, a revised floor, and several smaller aerodynamic refinements.
These align with what observers around the circuit reported: the SF‑26 ran with the latest version of the “Macarena” rear wing, a reverse‑profile concept that Ferrari has been refining since its first appearance earlier in the season.
The team has worked extensively on improving its hydraulic actuation and reliability, and Monza offered the first chance to evaluate the updated mechanism at high speed.
The revised floor — a key component of Ferrari’s Miami package — is designed to improve load consistency and reduce drag, an area where the Scuderia has been chasing Mercedes since the opening rounds.
Why Monza Matters
Monza is not only Ferrari’s home circuit but also one of the most revealing tracks for aerodynamic efficiency and hybrid deployment. With the SF‑26 expected to receive its most significant upgrade yet in Miami, the team needed a venue that could stress both the aero platform and the power unit’s energy‑recovery systems.
The timing also proved fortuitous. With the FIA’s regulatory adjustments confirmed just two days earlier, Ferrari became the first team to run on track with full knowledge of the updated framework — a small but meaningful advantage heading into the U.S. round.
Although filming days prohibit the use of flow‑viz paint, aero rakes, or major instrumentation, Ferrari relied on internal load cells and onboard sensors to validate correlation between CFD, wind‑tunnel data, and real‑world behaviour. The information gathered will now feed directly into Maranello’s simulator programme as engineers finalise the Miami setup.
After a five‑week break marked by TPC running at Mugello and Pirelli testing at Fiorano, this Monza session represented Ferrari’s last on‑track opportunity before the championship resumes.
