Ferrari’s hopes of mounting a genuine Formula 1 title challenge have been tempered by serious concerns over power unit performance at the next two circuits on the calendar.
Lewis Hamilton won in Barcelona to raise expectations around Ferrari’s competitiveness, but the seven-time world champion is cautious about what lies ahead at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps.
Hamilton has described the Mercedes power unit as “phenomenal,” acknowledging that Ferrari still trails significantly despite introducing its first ADUO upgrade of the season in Austria.
At the Red Bull Ring, Hamilton estimated Ferrari was losing around four tenths of a second per lap in straight-line speed alone, a gap he described as extremely difficult to recover through the corners.
“I think we’ve got a great car fundamentally, it’s just we’ve just got to continue to work to maximise what we can, score as many points as we can until we can close that deficit,” Hamilton said.
The Mercedes advantage extends beyond raw power, with Hamilton highlighting energy management as another area where Ferrari is currently being outperformed by its rivals.
Silverstone’s long straights and limited braking zones for battery regeneration make the circuit particularly punishing for cars that struggle with MGU-K deployment across a full lap.
“There’s only a few corners to charge the engine, so the MGU-K will be switched off for a large portion of the lap and that’s where we will struggle probably the most,” Hamilton said. “The deficit could be twice as big.”
Charles Leclerc echoed his team-mate’s concerns, admitting he lacked race pace in Austria and warning that the next two rounds will present even greater difficulties for the Scuderia.
“It’s also fair to say that the next two races will be, I think, very tough for the team,” Leclerc said. “But the best thing I can do is to keep my head down and keep pushing no matter where we are fighting.”
Leclerc said Ferrari had identified specific issues that hurt his performance on race day in Austria, and the team will look to address those heading into the British Grand Prix weekend.
Hamilton also pointed to Red Bull’s recent step forward as further evidence of how rapidly the competitive order can shift throughout the 2026 season.
“You’ve seen now also Red Bull have really taken a step. They made a massive step in the last race,” Hamilton said, suggesting Max Verstappen now has the power to match Mercedes.
Despite the challenges, Hamilton remains focused on identifying circuits where Ferrari can strike back, with the Hungaroring standing out as a potentially more favourable venue due to its lack of long straights.
“I would imagine Budapest might be a little bit of a closer battle because it’s not got long straights,” Hamilton said. “We need more of those sorts of circuits, to be honest.”
When asked about closing the gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli, Hamilton laughed off the suggestion while admitting the points deficit remains significant after the Austrian Grand Prix.
“Kimi is far ahead. That is still a lot of points ahead, and he pulled some more points ahead in the last race,” Hamilton said, describing it as a “good reality check” for the team.
Ferrari’s strategy for the coming weeks appears to be one of damage limitation at power-sensitive circuits while targeting maximum points wherever the SF-26 can genuinely compete at the front.