F1 | Ferrari head gamble: engine pushed to allow smaller radiators?
The Mercedes power unit is currently considered the most powerful, while Ferrari’s six-cylinder engine, which still needs to solve some reliability issues, is said to be an extreme design. The cylinder head produced through Additive Manufacturing uses innovative alloys that should allow the development of the Ferrari 678 with smaller radiators, providing a significant aerodynamic advantage.
From the outside, those describing the situation inside the Scuderia’s Racing Division talk about a volatile and uncertain environment. The departures of Wolf Zimmermann and Lars Schmidt, both headed to Audi, have been viewed as a black hole within the staff managed by Enrico Gualtieri. Their exits are expected to trigger further defections within the team.
On the other hand, the engine department working on the new power unit remains confident about challenging Mercedes. In the paddock, the German manufacturer is unanimously regarded as the team most advanced in developing a power unit capable of splitting power 50-50 between the combustion engine and electrical energy.
With the brilliant but unconventional Zimmermann, Ferrari had experimented with a steel cylinder head, though the project was later abandoned in favor of an aluminum-based version. The turbo six-cylinder that will power the Ferrari 678 is expected to adopt an extreme solution in terms of materials, though it must still address reliability concerns before being fully competitive.
For some time now, the cylinder head is no longer produced through traditional casting (not only at Ferrari but across F1), but through Additive Manufacturing. To simplify, one might refer to it as 3D printing, though the process actually involves DMLS, or Direct Metal Laser Sintering. This advanced technology uses a high-powered laser to fuse metallic powders layer by layer, producing highly complex components with excellent mechanical properties. It makes it possible to combine metals with very different characteristics, such as aluminum and copper, together with non-organic materials like ceramics, opening up almost unlimited research opportunities.
Ferrari’s power unit has already been running on the test bench for some time, searching for the reliability needed to ensure a lifespan that allows the season to be divided into four equal segments.
Enrico Gualtieri, technical director of the engine division, aims to maximize the advantage of Ferrari being able to build both chassis and power unit at the same facility. The close collaboration between the two groups of engineers should allow not only an efficient packaging of systems but also the introduction of very advanced solutions.
Davide Mazzoni, Head of ICE, and his team have targeted a cylinder head capable of handling extremely high combustion chamber pressures and operating at higher temperatures than what has been common in recent years. Thanks to a unique combination of powdered materials, the ambition is to homologate an engine that can withstand greater stress while also dissipating heat more effectively.
In short, Ferrari is pursuing outright performance but also seeking improved thermal efficiency. This follows a philosophy similar to what McLaren has taken to the extreme with the MCL39, which features a much tighter bodywork compared to the Mercedes W16, despite both cars using the same German power unit.
Looking ahead to 2026, Formula 1 cars will have a minimum weight of 768 kg (722 kg for the car plus driver, plus an estimated 46 kg for the tires). The FIA’s goal is to reduce weight by 30 kg compared to the current ground-effect generation. However, under the new regulations, the power unit will weigh 150 kg, which is 30 kg more than today’s engines. This means that any team aiming to reach the minimum limit will have to save an additional 60 kg on the chassis for 2026.
This target is considered nearly impossible, but every team will strive to get as close as possible to the 768 kg benchmark. Ferrari plans to achieve very slim sidepods thanks to a significant reduction in radiator size. This would allow the engineers, led by Diego Tondi, to push aerodynamic shapes to the extreme for greater efficiency. It should be noted that rumors of Tondi’s departure after the arrival of Franck Sanchez, the new head of wind tunnel development, have been denied.
Diego Tondi, who had received a couple of attractive offers, last year earned the title of head of the aerodynamics department. He also secured a well-deserved salary increase in exchange for strict contractual clauses limiting any future departure.
Where does Ferrari currently stand with the 678 project? It is very difficult to say, since the 2026 cars remain top secret, and the few pieces of information that circulate are mainly the result of staff turnover across different teams. Ferrari chairman John Elkann has set winning the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship as the main objective. With the regulatory reset expected to level the playing field, Fred Vasseur’s team will have to prove it can finally deliver results in its fourth year of effort, after several seasons of unfulfilled ambitions.
Sep 15, 2025
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