Ferrari brings upgraded engine and new rear wing to Italian GP in title fightback

Ferrari will debut an upgraded power unit at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, targeting a performance turnaround after failing to reach the podium in the last two rounds and slipping 87 points behind Mercedes in the constructors’ championship.

The new 067/7 engine, cleared for introduction under the sport’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) regulations after Ferrari was confirmed to be more than 4% below the benchmark, features a revised combustion chamber and turbocharger. Engineers led by Enrico Gualtieri have signed off the unit following repeated bench tests, with a projected gain of 15 horsepower expected to halve the deficit to the Mercedes power unit, widely regarded as the best all-round package in the field. A new fuel formulation developed by Shell is expected to contribute additional performance.

Ferrari will also roll out a new, more aerodynamically efficient version of its Macarena rear wing — not used at any previous event this season — along with a blown exhaust configuration that may be further adjusted to reduce drag on Monza’s high-speed straights.

The Scuderia arrives at its home race under pressure. McLaren has outscored Ferrari in each of the last two rounds, and the team has gone two consecutive races without a podium finish. Monza has not been a reliable source of results in recent years either, with Ferrari recording just three wins in the last 19 Italian Grands Prix.

Ferrari has received an indirect boost ahead of the weekend: Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli will start from the back of the grid after exceeding his permitted power unit allocation, the result of reliability problems earlier in the season. Team-mate George Russell is not expected to take a penalty at Monza, with Baku identified as a more likely point for a similar change given comparable track characteristics.

The team will also run a special livery at Monza to celebrate Michael Schumacher’s achievements with Ferrari, adding further significance to a race the Scuderia is treating as a pivotal moment in its championship campaign.