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Following the incredible success at Silverstone, Formula 1 is taking a break before resuming next week at the historic Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Not everyone, however, will be taking a break. Pirelli will remain at the British circuit alongside Mercedes and Williams, but Ferrari won’t be standing still either. The many extra kilometres covered during TPC tests, filming days and Pirelli tests – which the Scuderia usually makes the most of – often spark debate amongst the other teams and drivers.

Frédéric Vasseur’s team, however, intends to make the most of every available kilometre and every opportunity afforded by the regulations, pushing hard and efficiently – much as it is doing on the development front, a topic very close to Toto Wolff’s heart at the moment. That is why the Maranello-based team did not return directly to Italy, but made a surprise detour to Spain: destination Madrid, to take the SF-26 out on the track at the Madring.

The circuit was officially opened just a few days ago, in the presence of Carlos Sainz and the key political figures who helped bring the circuit and the Grand Prix – due to take place in September – to fruition. A few laps have already been completed, but no 2026 Formula 1 car has yet taken to the track there. It will be Ferrari, in fact, that will put the new Spanish circuit through its paces for the first time. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will take to the track on Thursday in the SF-26 to make the most of the second filming day available: a total of 200 km for the two Ferrari drivers.

Ferrari is therefore getting a head start, but above all is making the most of an opportunity handed to them on a plate. According to information obtained by AutoRacer, it was the Madring organisers who invited the Scuderia to the circuit for a promotional event, entrusting Ferrari with the task of ‘inaugurating’ the track with a Formula 1 car and covering all the costs of the event.

Ferrari has agreed, but has also gone one step further. It will not be taking to the track with a historic car, a GT or an old Formula 1 car eligible for TPC testing, but will instead bring the SF-26 directly to Madrid, making use of the second of the two filming days available. There will be no new components to test or anything of the sort; the SF-26 will essentially be the same as the one used in the most recent races. In this way, the team will be able to gather valuable data ahead of the Grand Prix in September, whilst at the same time achieving significant cost savings thanks to the organisers covering part of the costs.

It may seem like a minor detail, but in the era of the Budget Cap, saving a few hundred thousand euros on logistics costs – including transport, circuit hire and session fees – is far from insignificant, especially if the season continues to be characterised by a fierce battle on the development front, an aspect to which Toto Wolff has been drawing attention for some time now. Ferrari, however, just as with the development of the SF-26, wants to push right to the limit permitted by the regulations: this, too, is an opportunity seized in a more aggressive, prudent and efficient manner.