Ferrari engine customer admits Mercedes have the ‘advantage’ with 2026 power unit

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Ferrari and Mercedes may well be in direct competition during the 2026 F1 season. But they will also fight a proxy war through their engine customers.

Ferrari will no longer supply engines to Sauber, who have been bought by Audi. Cadillac will purchase the spare power units, while the relationship with Haas continues.

Meanwhile, world champions McLaren continue to race with Mercedes power, along with Williams. Aston Martin’s switch to Honda opens up a space for Alpine, formerly the Renault works team, to fill.

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Ever since F1 teams started testing their 2026 engines, there has been a growing consensus that Mercedes have the edge. One of Ferrari’s customers agrees.

Haas boss Ayao Komatsu believes Mercedes have the best 2026 engine

Writing in a column for Autosport Web, Haas boss Ayao Komatsu admitted that he was buying into the hype about Mercedes.

Komatsu worked for Alpine forerunners Lotus back in 2014, when Mercedes established a comfortable horsepower advantage. He expects the Brixworth facility to set the ‘benchmark’ again.

The Japanese engineer says it’s ‘unclear’ where Ferrari will slot into the pecking order. Anything less than second place would be a disappointment given the inexperience of Red Bull Powertrains/Ford and Audi, as well as Honda’s well-documented problems.

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“When it comes to power units, there have been reports suggesting that Mercedes has the advantage, and I, and many others, think so,” Komatsu wrote. “This is because Mercedes was successful in 2014 when it introduced its 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid power unit.

“They proved that they have a plan, work in an organised manner, and have the ability to develop things over the long term. Those of us who were beaten have never forgotten the experience of seeing the difference between them and Mercedes, so I personally expect Mercedes to remain the benchmark in 2026.

“It’s hard to imagine new PU manufacturers like Ford and Audi coming in at the top from the start, and we don’t know where Honda will be. It’s also unclear whether Ferrari will be able to take Mercedes’ position.”

Do Mercedes have a four-tenth engine advantage over Ferrari?

The biggest difference between the Mercedes and Ferrari engines may lie in fuel compression ratios. Under the 2026 rules, the legal limit has been lowered from 18:1 to 16:1.

However, it’s believed that Mercedes have found a way to run at 18:1 on track, while still complying with the FIA checks when the car is stationary.

Crucially, Ferrari will need months to replicate Mercedes’ trick if it isn’t banned by the FIA. Any clampdown may not be enforced until after the summer break at the earliest.

It’s believed that Mercedes could gain up to four-tenths per lap through this method. Perhaps that’s why Komatsu is so confident in their superiority.

On the other hand, Cadillac advisor Mario Andretti has no ‘real concern’ about Ferrari’s engine. He’s certain that they will ‘get it right’, either straight away or with time.