Ferrari is to press ahead with plans to include steel alloy cylinder heads in its F1 2026 engine design, it has been claimed.<\/p>\n
It comes after PlanetF1.com reported in October that the Italian team has been working on a \u2018revolutionary\u2019 power unit for F1\u2019s new era.<\/p>\n
F1 2026 rumour: Ferrari commits to steel cylinder heads with new engine<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n Ferrari suffered its third winless season of this decade in 2025 as the team finished a disappointing fourth in the constructors\u2019 standings.<\/p>\n Charles Leclerc was restricted to just seven podium finishes last year, with new signing Lewis Hamilton failing to record a top-three finish across a season for the first time in his career.<\/p>\n The F1 2026 season, which will see the chassis and engine rules overhauled simultaneously, is set to offer Ferrari the chance to return to winning ways.<\/p>\n F1 2026: Formula 1\u2019s season of change<\/p>\n F1 2025 v F1 2026: Nine key questions ahead of huge regulation changes<\/a><\/p>\n F1\u2019s secret battleground revealed amid preparations for 2026 revolution<\/a><\/p>\n As reported by PlanetF1.com<\/a>, it emerged in October that Ferrari was developing a \u2018revolutionary\u2019 engine design for its 2026 car \u2013 codenamed Project 678 \u2013 featuring a \u2018top secret\u2019 intake system.<\/p>\n It was said that the 2026 Ferrari engine would be launched with aluminum cylinder heads after a \u2018highly innovative\u2019 steel cylinder head design \u2013 pioneered by outgoing engine boss Wolf Zimmermann \u2013 was \u2018abandoned\u2019 due to reliability concerns.<\/p>\n However, it has emerged that Ferrari has now committed to the steel cylinder heads for 2026.<\/p>\n A report by the Italian edition of Motorsport.com has claimed that Ferrari has achieved something of a breakthrough in the development of its steel cylinder heads.<\/p>\n Ferrari engineers were initially uncertain that the steel cylinder heads could achieve the necessary mileage for 2026, which limits each driver to four internal combustion engines over the course of the 24-race season.<\/p>\n This led to the team developing cylinder heads made from aluminum in parallel to the steel solution.<\/p>\n However, Ferrari reportedly called upon the help of Austrian-based engine specialist AVL to improve the durability of the steel cylinder heads.<\/p>\n The progress made over recent months is said to have convinced Ferrari to focus entirely on the steel cylinder heads for 2026.<\/p>\n Aluminum had previously been regarded as the material of choice for cylinder head construction due to its low weight.<\/p>\n With the minimum weight of the power unit increasing from 120 to 150 kilograms for F1 2026, however, it is said that engineers no longer deem maximum lightweight construction to be a crucial consideration in engine design.<\/p>\n It is hoped that the use of the steel cylinder heads, which produce pressures and temperatures \u2018that have never been reached before\u2019 during the ignition process, will result in more efficient combustion despite the increased weight.<\/p>\n The report adds that Ferrari has also developed a new high-tech battery thought to be lighter and more compact than previous versions, with the new engine also requiring smaller radiators.<\/p>\n These developments are expected to bring an advantage in terms of the car\u2019s packaging.<\/p>\n Zimmermann, Ferrari\u2019s head of ICE research and development since 2014, and his deputy Lars Schmidt are both set to leave Ferrari ahead of the F1 2026 season.<\/p>\n The pair are expected to reunite at the new Audi F1 team, where former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto holds the dual role of chief operating and chief technical officer.<\/p>\n Rumours emerged last month suggested that two 2026 engine manufacturers, Mercedes and Red Bull-Ford, have identified a loophole in the 2026 engine rules<\/a> related to the compression ratio.<\/p>\n As reported by PlanetF1.com in November<\/a>, Project 678 is also set to feature a pushrod suspension layout at both the front and rear of the car.<\/p>\n A double-pushrod suspension, also thought to have been pursued by Red Bull<\/a>, is expected to bring a number of technical advantages, including with the packaging of the new power unit.<\/p>\n It will make Project 678 the first Ferrari F1 car to have a pushrod rear suspension since 2010.<\/p>\n Ferrari announced last month that Project 678 will be officially launched on January 23, three days before the start of F1\u2019s behind-closed-doors test in Barcelona.<\/p>\n Although five days of testing will take place at the Spanish Grand Prix venue, each team will be limited to a maximum of three days of running.<\/p>\n Fred Vasseur, the Ferrari team principal, revealed earlier this week that the team will effectively field two different versions of its 2026 car<\/a> in testing.<\/p>\n A launch-spec version will appear in Barcelona as the team focuses on mileage and verifying critical design elements like the packaging and performance of its new engine.<\/p>\n Ferrari will then produce a B-spec car for the remaining two tests in Bahrain in mid-February as attention turns to performance.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n