Ferrari are set to bring an extensive list of upgrades to next month's Miami Grand Prix after completing a 'secret test'.
Drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished in third and fourth positions in Australia, with their finishing order reversed in China.
The Japanese Grand Prix, though, was more of a struggle due to the increased competitiveness of McLaren, and Leclerc crossed the line in third ahead of Hamilton in sixth.
Ferrari have the best car on the entire grid through the corners, but have a power deficiency in comparison to the superior Mercedes engines used by McLaren and the works Mercedes team.
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Both Hamilton and Leclerc, who have spoken positively about their 2026 cars, have urged Ferrari to try and make up that particular deficit - and it is something the team have been working hard on behind the scenes.
Italian outlet Autoracer reported last month that Ferrari would host a filming day at Monza during F1's enforced one-month hiatus, which has been caused by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix on April 12 and 19.
It is claimed that the track has been chosen specifically so that Ferrari can test how their straight-line speed is affected by their proposed upgrade packages.
Ferrari's planned upgrades
The Race now report that Ferrari have had to change their original update path due to the Grand Prix cancellations, having initially planned to introduce upgrades incrementally had the calendar proceeded as planned.
It is claimed that, instead, all the updates will likely be on the car in time for Miami, should package testing go smoothly at Monza on April 22.
Ferrari are set to introduce a revised floor, which they hope will increase aerodynamic downforce and therefore reduce the deficit to the Mercedes power units on the straights.
Their 'Macarena' rear wing, meanwhile, which pivots and rotates when active aerodynamics are applied by the driver, is predicted to shave three tenths off lap time at certain tracks.
Ferrari used the wing in practice for China but team principal Frederic Vasseur confirmed that the part needed more mileage before the team could be confident it could perform over a full distance.
There are also reliability questions still to be answered, as well as rear stability under braking.
It is reported that the team will assess the part's impact at Monza before deciding whether to put it on the car for Miami or for the subsequent race in Montreal.
Ferrari will also benefit from the FIA's Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) programme in the coming weeks.
The FIA measure the average performance level of each power unit every five to six races, with the teams who have a weaker power unit given more development opportunities compared to the top teams.
A knock-on effect of Ferrari receiving more opportunities than Mercedes and McLaren, though, is that power units slower than theirs - Red Bull, Honda and Audi - will receive opportunities to close the deficit to the Scuderia.
The opening ADUO round was originally scheduled for round six in Miami, but Miami has now become round four due to the aforementioned cancellations. The FIA have not confirmed whether the Grand Prix will retain the ADUO slot.
Topics: Ferrari, Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc
Ryan Smart