Ferrari has unveiled a substantial upgrade to its SF-26 at Formula 1’s Barcelona Grand Prix. 

Ferrari delivered its last major upgrade at the Miami GP in early May, but Mercedes has since introduced a major upgrade in Montreal, where McLaren also brought the second part of its first major update. 

Ferrari chose to optimise its existing package across Montreal and Monaco, but it has now introduced a significant new package of upgrades at Barcelona.

There are changes to eight parts of the car. There’s a “revised front wing footplate with new vanes arrangement and endplate diveplane addition, and optimised wing elements spanwise loading distribution” (see main image).

There’s also “new straight mode mechanism links and integration in the nose (see below), with a revised nose shape with raised lower surface”. 

Ferrari has also made changes to the floor body, floor board, floor edge and “re-profiling of diffuser sidewall cutout” with an “updated diffuser winglet angle of attack and diffuser/tail expansion profile”. 

The wholly revised floor is aimed at adding aerodynamic load. 

There’s an inflated sidepod shoulder and adapted cokeline, that’s been developed to work with the revised front and floor of the car. 

Ferrari’s major upgrade is all part of the team’s efforts to claw back the 79-point gap it has to Mercedes in the constructors’ championship and the deficits faced by Lewis Hamilton (66 points) and Charles Leclerc (81 points) to Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli in the drivers’ standings. 

Leclerc said ahead of the weekend: “The development will play such an important role that it's important that this goes well, and if it goes well, everything is possible.

“But surely we must not lose too much time because Kimi is doing everything perfect so far and then to go and catch up all the points that he's taking at the moment is going to be a very challenging task, even if we end up having the fastest car at one point. 

“Kimi is doing an incredible job and Mercedes has done an incredible job but I don't give up yet.” 

What the other top teams have brought 

McLaren has a revised front wing endplate for Barcelona, while Mercedes has added small winglets to the centreline of its rear wing (above). 

Red Bull has made changes to its existing front wing at Barcelona. The front wing element geometries have been revised and there’s been a camber increase of the front wing flaps to widen the balance range available.