FERRARI GOES AGAINST THE TREND WITH ITS SF-26

Ferrari goes against the trend with its SF-26 in both the shape and size of the airbox. It has opted for a very narrow triangular section, in contrast to its rivals, who have significantly increased the dimensions, with Racing Bulls taken to the extreme. Those who had the privilege (Matteo Bobbi) of observing the SF-26 up close discovered a second, slim rectangular intake that sits just behind the driver’s head. An airbox that closely resembles that of the SF-90 and allows for a very narrow engine cover, since all the cooling packs are housed in the sidepods, as on previous Ferraris. This second intake feeds directly into the engine area. An even more extreme solution had been adopted by the then Toro Rosso during the 2014/15 seasons. At the time, the new hybrid power units were introduced, and the STR10, despite having a very large main air intake, also featured a second intake underneath. Only in the 2015 Singapore race were we able to see the unprecedented shape of the radiator—always hidden during observations outside the garage—essentially an inverted V, for the first time as wide as the entire chassis, also exploiting the central section.