'Extreme Ferrari PU could fight Mercedes' but has one major weakness'

It's long been since Ferrari were able to realistically mount a title fight, save for Sebastian Vettel's 2017 and 2018 seasons where the Scuderia seemed poised to threaten Mercedes' hegemony. However, if rumours are to be believed, the Italian outfit could be among the top contenders next year.

At least on the engine side. Motorsport's Italian branch reports that although unreliable, Ferrari's 2026 engine is "extreme" and could be capable of fighting Mercedes' power unit, which is understood to be the class of the field, barring any real evidence to support such claims.

Using Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) technology the Scuderia is reportedly able to melt different metal powders, with other materials, such as ceramic for instance, and combine them in a potentially powerful mix that might yield the optimal material for the PU, which could then mitigate the reliability issues it seems to be suffering from.

Not only would it help in terms of reliability but also with cooling, something McLaren has exploited this current season which, despite using the same engines as its supplier, Mercedes, has seen the papaya coloured team be the common denominator listed under most pole positions and wins this season.

Ferrari, according to the rumour, are also focused in improving aerodynamic efficency, and the DMLS technology also serves the purpose of creating as many complex and diverse geometric shapes as required, which frees the Scuderia up to 'dream' up new ways of building its components.

Furthermore, the staff at Maranello are reportedly working on optimising the size of its radiators to improve aerodynamic efficiency.

Whether Ferrari, or any team for that matter, will be able to compete for the top prizes remains, as of yet, uncertain. This year's car turned out to be a step backwards in terms of competitiveness in relation to its rivals'.

However, if rumours are to be believed, then the Scuderia's project 678, which is set to be Director of Chassis Loic Serra's first car since he first started work at Maranello in October last year, could very well surprise the field and put Ferrari's name back at the top of Formula One.