Ferrari engine department know they can’t give Lewis Hamilton what he needs in F1 title battle

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Lewis Hamilton finds himself in the fight for the 2026 Formula 1 title, but Ferrari technicians know that they cannot catch Mercedes, even with engine upgrades.

The Maranello outfit have taken a huge step forward in 2026. Ferrari listened to Hamilton’s technical feedback, and under the new regulations, he is reinvigorated, having won his first race for the team in Barcelona.

But while Hamilton now sits 41 points behind Kimi Antonelli in the standings, Mercedes still hold a dominant advantage over the field. The Silver Arrows won every race before the Barcelona GP, and Ferrari know that they may not be caught in 2026.

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Ferrari know that they cannot close the gap to Mercedes with engine upgrades

The engine department in Maranello have been making steps to close the gap to Mercedes. Hamilton made a ‘significant breakthrough’ with the battery at Fiorano and better understands how to extract the optimal performance.

The team will be boosted further through ADUO, with the FIA allowing them to have two additional upgrades in 2026 and 2027, alongside Audi and Honda.

Ferrari plan to introduce the upgraded engine in Austria, which Lando Norris fears could make them ‘dominant’. However, it is clear that Mercedes have the best package, even if the FIA believes Red Bull have the fastest engine.

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The Brackley outfit will also get an upgrade through ADUO, and according to journalist Leo Turrini, even with extra updates to the engines, Ferrari have already accepted that they will not completely close the gap.

He wrote in his blog: “I know for a fact that in Maranello they’re working like mad to be ready as early as Austria. But I also know with absolute certainty that the technicians led by engineer Gualtieri rule out the possibility of completely closing the power gap with Mercedes.

“To be clear: if today the horsepower is thirty less, with ADUO you can go down to ten, fifteen. Maybe. Maybe because Mercedes can also intervene on the electrics. Up until now, the batteries have been the Silver Arrow’s only weak point.”

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What does Lewis Hamilton think about his 2026 title chances?

In 2025, Max Verstappen pulled back a 100-point deficit to come within two points of winning the title. So, a 41-point gap to Antonelli is not impossible for Hamilton to close.

After finishing P2 in Monaco, Hamilton was adamant that he could catch Antonelli. With the Italian retiring in Barcelona, he gained 25 points on him with his victory.

But despite this, Hamilton says the title is still a ‘long way’ away. He will be aware of the work Ferrari need to do to catch Mercedes, but even their best efforts might not be enough, by their own admission.