The Scuderia confirmed it will run an updated power unit at the Red Bull Ring after being granted additional development opportunities under F1’s catch-up mechanism.
Ferrari is permitted to make two power unit upgrades this season after FIA analysis found it to be more than four percent behind the benchmark set by Red Bull.
The first update is centred on the internal combustion engine and comes as Ferrari looks to reduce its deficit to the Milton Keynes squad, as well as Brackley-based Mercedes.
However, Ferrari has moved to temper expectations around the step, insisting it will not suddenly change the competitive picture.
“This update is not a major step, and it will not on its own change the competitive order,” Ferrari power unit technical director Enrico Gualtieri said.
“What it does show is the attitude of the team and our technical partners: to push continuously and to make the most of every opportunity to improve our package.
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“In a championship as competitive as this one, it is unrealistic to expect a single update to transform the overall picture, especially under the current homologation and development constraints.
“Performance is built progressively, not only through hardware changes, but also through how effectively you optimise the package race by race.”
Ferrari is expected to use its second ADUO upgrade after the summer break in August, with a revised turbocharger in the pipeline.
The team initially opted for a smaller turbocharger under the new regulations following the removal of the MGU-H, but that advantage has been reduced by the FIA’s pre-start procedure that gives manufacturers time to spool up their turbos before launch.
Gualtieri said the Austria update was the result of Ferrari’s ongoing power unit development program.
“The update we are bringing to Spielberg is a relatively minor one and it’s the result of the work completed in recent weeks to transfer improvements from our development program to the track,” he said.
“It epitomises key principles of our sport: continuous improvement, reacting quickly, and deploying gains at the earliest opportunity.”
Team principal Fred Vasseur said Ferrari arrived in Austria buoyed by its recent form, which included victory in the last round in Barcelona, but remained focused on another clean weekend.
“We arrive in Austria encouraged by our positive showing over the past few races, even though we are fully aware that there is still a lot of work to do and that we must continue to focus on ourselves,” Vasseur said.
Ferrari’s weekend will also include a driver change in FP1, with Dino Beganovic replacing Charles Leclerc for Friday’s opening practice.
Beganovic also drove for Ferrari in FP1 at Barcelona earlier this month, when he stepped into Lewis Hamilton’s car.
His Austria run means Ferrari will complete half of its mandatory rookie practice requirement for the year, with Leclerc and Hamilton each still needing to sit out one more FP1 session later in the season.
Ferrari will be among several teams running third drivers in Austria, with Jak Crawford replacing Lance Stroll at Aston Martin, Luke Browning stepping in for Carlos Sainz at Williams, and Paul Aron taking over Gabriel Bortoleto’s Audi for FP1.
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