Ferrari will likely introduce a new floor at the United States Grand Prix as part of its final major upgrade of the 2026 season, Motorsport.com understands.
While the Maranello outfit has already shifted its focus to 2027, the team is expected to bring a new floor to the race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, next week.
The aim of the new floor is to produce the same or more downforce while letting the team run a slightly less stiff set-up, widening the car's operating window. Revised sidepods and bodywork are also expected imminently, but they might appear on the SF-26 at the Mexican Grand Prix on 30 October - 1 November.
Ferrari currently sits second in the constructors' standings with 444 points, behind championship leader Mercedes with 578 points. McLaren is third with 339 points and Red Bull is fourth with 332 points.
But after Red Bull's Max Verstappen dominated the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, claiming pole position for both the sprint and the main race, and winning both, Ferrari team chief Fred Vasseur discussed whether the Milton Keynes outfit was now the team to beat.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton Ferrari
Photo by: Clive Mason / Getty Images
"Not sure," the Frenchman told Motorsport.com and other media. "Honestly, they are doing very well, but it's not the team to beat. If you look at the McLaren and Mercedes, if you have a look from the beginning of the season, Mercedes was flying, then we won two races, then McLaren won two races, then Red Bull won two or three.
"I think it's changing, because quite often you have four teams, I think yesterday you had four teams in less than two races.
"It means that if someone is bringing upgrades next week, the classification can change. But the most important thing is to be focused on ourselves, not to think about the others."
The United States Grand Prix will take place from 23-25 October at the Circuit of the Americas.