Ferrari introduces detailed update to SF70H F1 car for Belgian GP

The outfit scored a 1-2 finish at the previous round of the season in Hungary, but has struggled to match title rival Mercedes on higher speed circuits so far in 2017.

As it bids to challenge Mercedes at the fast, flowing Spa circuit, Ferrari has introduced a handful of interesting tweaks for the first race after the summer break.

Giorgio Piola's exclusive photograph (above) from the preparation day at Spa show that Ferrari will be running with a new front suspension - featuring a third damper.

It is understood Ferrari trialled the new configuration in the post-Hungarian Grand Prix test, with the team making the changes in a bid to better manage its ride-height and rake angle.

As the image shows, it is possible to see a new third shock absorber as well as a larger and more threaded spring.

It is likely that the team will hope that better management of the rake angle will help produce lower drag for Spa's long straights without compromising its cornering performance.

As well as changes to the suspension, Ferrari has made some revisions to its wings and floor.

The front wing and the endplate have been reprofiled to make it better suited for the lower drag demands of Spa while at the rear of the car, Ferrari has a new configuration of holes ahead of the rear wheel.

Instead of the seven holes that were present in Hungary, Ferrari will run with six this weekend - plus the addition of an extra bodywork 'handle' element similar to that which Mercedes has used since the Spanish Grand Prix in May.

Championship leader Sebastian Vettel hopes that the improvements Ferrari has made, allied to the aggressive choice of tyres Pirelli is bringing, should deliver the team a better result than it achieved in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the previous high speed circuit on the calendar.

"If we had to race at Silverstone again, we would do a lot better," said Vettel.

"We just didn't get a good weekend all together. It's true Mercedes was very strong there. The fact that it's likely to be similar here obviously for us makes it fairly straightforward.

"I think we have only to gain. Because of how strong they were at Silverstone and some similarities, they are the favourites going into here.

"But we don't want to settle behind them, we want to attack."