Ferrari enjoyed a largely positive first test with the SF-26 at the Barcelona shakedown, as Lewis Hamilton set the pace, but upgrades are already coming for their 2026 F1 car.

Lap times are generally irrelevant during testing, as the teams made proving the reliability of their new packages the priority. F1 even held the Barcelona shakedown behind closed doors owing to fears that the 2026 F1 regulations would see teams encounter reliability problems.

In the end, those fears did not prevail, and Ferrari believe the Barcelona shakedown proved the reliability of their 2026 F1 rules engine. F1 has increased the electrical power share to a near 50/50 split with the ICE, ditched the MGU-H and obligated the use of sustainable fuels.

Ferrari want to ‘surprise’ their rival F1 teams with a sidepod upgrade before the first race

But it is said that Ferrari are concerned about their energy management after checking their data from Charles Leclerc and Hamilton’s runs during their three on-track days in Barcelona. The shakedown only marked the start of Ferrari’s programme to develop the SF-26, though.

That is according to Formula.it, which reports that Ferrari want to ‘surprise’ their rival teams by revealing a sidepod upgrade prior to the first round of the 2026 F1 season in Australia on March 6-8. The Scuderia are planning a streamlined design carrying a bold tapering design.

Ferrari put the radiators for their engine in the sidepods of the SF-26 in Barcelona, which let them use a small triangular airbox. But the Scuderia are planning to reduce the size of their sidepods, as the team believe their use of steel cylinder heads in their engine is a ‘wildcard’.

The engineers in Maranello believe the steel cylinder heads within their internal combustion engine can operate at higher temperatures and dissipate heat more efficiently. So, they now plan to also use smaller radiators to reduce the SF-26’s weight and benefit aerodynamically.

Ferrari are pushing the boundaries with their aero concept for the 2026 F1 regulations

Reports from Italy had already suggested that Ferrari plan to use a third version of their new sidepod concept in Australia after gathering data in Barcelona and Bahrain. Ferrari started in Barcelona with a basic design that they are expected to start enhancing in Sakhir next week.

Formula 1 will hold two official pre-season tests in Bahrain, as the Sakhir circuit is thought to have paid to have the honour and thus Barcelona had to settle for a private shakedown. The paddock will gather in Sakhir for two public three-day tests from February 11-13 and 18-20.

The FIA may have raised another potential hurdle for why Ferrari have elected to stagger the development of their package. It is said that the FIA intends to have a closer look at Ferrari’s 2026 aero concept, as the Scuderia have been extremely aggressive with their new design.