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Ferrari’s strengths and weaknesses are widely known after the first eight races of the 2026 F1 season.
In terms of cornering, the SF-26 is arguably the best car on the grid. In a recent interview, Lando Norris claimed Ferrari would be ’embarrassing’ everyone if their engine performance was better.
And that’s exactly what’s holding them back. The FIA have found that Ferrari are more four percent down in the ICE department (relative to Red Bull’s benchmark), and they are also lacking on the battery front.
Why Ferrari prioritising corner speed over engine performance was a mistake
Thanks to the FIA’s aforementioned ruling, Ferrari are able to upgrade their engine twice this year and twice next year through the ADUO catch-up mechanism.
According to The Telegraph, ADUO was at the core of Ferrari’s strategy for 2026. They thought they’d pulled off a ‘neat trick’ by prioritising corner speed in the knowledge that they would receive help on the engine front.
Let’s hear your podium predictions for the British Grand Prix 🍾
On the face of it, this looked like a cheat code. In a sense, they would be rewarded for their own underperformance, and the assistance would kick in early enough for them to make swift inroads into the gap.
The promise of ADUO would keep their 2026 title hopes alive and, at worst, be a foundation for a stronger 2027.
But as Lewis Hamilton said himself, Austria was a reality check for Ferrari. It’s too early to definitively judge the engine upgrade they introduced at the Red Bull Ring, but the deficit to Mercedes and Red Bull was certainly laid bare.
Ferrari were consistently 20kph down on the run to turn four as they depleted their battery reserves. This, in turn, has raised concerns about how they will perform at the ‘energy poor’ Silverstone track this weekend.
By winning in Monaco, Mercedes showed that they have an elite chassis as well as an enviable engine. Ferrari’s impressive cornering was rewarded in Barcelona but, right now, this car lacks the all-round strength to compete at every race.
Who will benefit the most at Silverstone if Lewis Hamilton’s wish for rain comes true? 🌧️
Mercedes will have access to ADUO as well, albeit on a smaller scale (one upgrade per year rather than two), so they have found the sweet spot.
Clearly, Ferrari didn’t weaken their engine on purpose, but they should be reviewing how they allocated resources.
Their approach was imbalanced, particularly in an ‘engine formula’ year, and now they are further away from catching Mercedes than they realised.
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