Ferrari factory staff have already given up on winning 2026 F1 title after seeing Mercedes data

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Ferrari are already resigned to Mercedes being superior for most of the 2026 season, according to a report. Fred Vasseur’s squad have been the only genuine challengers to the Silver Arrows so far.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have scored one podium apiece in the first two races, with Mercedes bagging a one-two finish each time. The fast-starting scarlet red cars have led both Grands Prix in the first stint before falling back.

Russell and Antonelli have found it difficult to clear the Ferraris, partly due to the new regulations, which have led to many ‘yo-yo’ battles. And yet, Leclerc eventually finished 15.5 seconds behind in Australia, and Hamilton was over 25 seconds adrift in China.

Ferrari view 2026 as a ‘transitional season’ in battle with Mercedes

According to The Race, Ferrari believe they are around 15bph down on Mercedes after studying the data.

They suspect that Mercedes are holding back some engine performance to deny their rivals full access to the catch-up mechanisms in the new regulations.

While Ferrari are planning to improve their engine, a 15bhp gap is significant and, most likely, too big to close in one year. Staff at Maranello accept that Mercedes will be faster on ‘most tracks’ in 2026.

They believe they are in the midst of a ‘transitional season’ and aim to compete for the title with a new engine next year. The rate of development will be extremely high but Mercedes’ current form is undeniably imperious, particularly if they have more performance at their disposal.

What Mercedes did last year to gain the edge on Ferrari

Vasseur suspended Ferrari’s 2025 development early, which was one of the reasons why his team failed to win a race last year and dropped to fourth in the constructors’ championship.

In a sense, that gamble has paid off, with Ferrari clearly stealing a march on Red Bull and the reigning champions McLaren.

But Hamilton says Ferrari were always wary of Mercedes having the edge, partly because they started to prioritise 2026 even earlier.

If Ferrari don’t expect the competitive picture at the front to radically change, then it may be that Russell and Antonelli go head-to-head for the world championship.