Ferrari is preparing a sweeping redesign of its Formula 1 power unit for 2027, abandoning the small-turbocharger concept that has defined its engine since the start of this season, according to sources speaking to TJ13.
The current layout was born out of a gamble. When Ferrari designed its 2026 power unit, the rules did not allow the hybrid system to assist cars while stationary or below 50 km/h, so Maranello built a deliberately undersized turbo that would spool up faster off the line. Ferrari had actually flagged the loophole to the FIA back in spring 2025, warning it would produce sluggish starts, but the governing body declined to rewrite the power unit specifications. Ferrari pressed ahead with its design anyway.
The approach initially paid off, with the SF-26 blasting away from the grid while rivals Mercedes and Red Bull struggled during testing and the opening rounds in Australia, China and Japan. But after several drivers were left stranded by poor getaways, the FIA stepped in on safety grounds, altering the regulations before the Miami race so that the MGU-K now provides an electrical boost whenever a driver has a slow start. Ferrari was reportedly furious, feeling the governing body had undermined a design built around a problem it had warned about a year earlier.
The change didn't just blunt Ferrari's starting edge — it left the team saddled with a smaller turbo that is disadvantageous on long straights, where larger turbos generate more power. Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly pointed to the resulting straight-line deficit, telling reporters in Austin that Ferrari was trailing rivals by three to five tenths in some sectors, and that the team "could not take that step" this season to close the gap, even as Mercedes and Red Bull also improved their chassis.
With a full season of data gathered, Ferrari's power unit division, led by Enrico Gualtieri, is now working on what amounts to a fundamentally new design for 2027, even though regulations prevent teams from starting completely from scratch. The overhaul includes ditching the small turbo given the standing-start rules have changed, along with reworked internal packaging and more aggressive cooling integration to stop a larger, more powerful turbo from disrupting airflow to the sidepods and diffuser.
In the meantime, Ferrari's existing quick-spooling turbo could prove useful this weekend in Mexico, where thin air at 2,238 metres altitude causes turbo lag for bigger units. George Russell predicted it could give Ferrari an edge, though Charles Leclerc downplayed the theory, insisting Mercedes remain favourites and that Ferrari's result will hinge on perfecting car setup.
Source: TheJudge13
See also our earlier piece: Ferrari Boss Vows Investigation After Hamilton-Leclerc Clash Branded 'Huge Disrespect'
