Ferrari have ‘crucial’ advantage over Mercedes with 2026 engine thanks to their Le Mans team

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Mercedes are widely believed to have set the benchmark with their 2026 F1 engine. This has been the consensus from the outset, even though no track running has been conducted.

F1 power units are changing in 2026, with the MGU-H scrapped in favour of a larger, more powerful battery. The sport will become almost 50% electric and the cars will run on sustainable fuels.

Mercedes are trying to shut down rumours that they have built the best engine given the burden of expectation. But it’s inevitable that engineers from rival teams talk to one another about their factory testing.

Ferrari could be the closest challengers to Mercedes thanks to their engine-building ‘experience’. Audi and Red Bull Powertrains are newcomers, while Honda only returned to the sport in 2015.

Ferrari have received F1 weight-saving tips from their WEC team

Ferrari’s F1 team failed to win a single race in 2025 but the Scuderia did have some motorsport success to celebrate as they won the Hypercar title in the World Endurance Championship. The 499P has won the last three editions of the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours race.

And according to a report from FUnoAnalisiTecnica, Ferrari have been ‘studying’ their WEC counterparts in the hope of gaining an advantage with their 2026 F1 car. The 499P is partly powered by a 200-kilowatt battery.

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The Hypercar branch have been able to offer ‘excellent’ tips when it comes to reducing the weight of the battery, which is expected to be a ‘crucial’ performance differentiator this year. Ferrari have previously lagged behind Mercedes in this area.

Clearly, there are major differences between the two sports – the F1 battery is much more powerful (350 kW) – but they do share some fundamentals. Mercedes don’t compete in the class, which may give Ferrari an edge.

Ferrari could try to have Mercedes thrown out of the Australian Grand Prix

There is currently a dispute raging behind the scenes over fuel-compression ratios. Ferrari are complaining to the FIA after Mercedes and Red Bull reportedly found a loophole in the regulations.

Gary Anderson says Mercedes are ‘pushing the limits’ of the rules but not ‘cheating’. He accused rivals of ‘crying wolf’ because they ‘failed to spot the opportunity’.

There’s even a chance that Ferrari will lodge a protest against Mercedes and Red Bull after the season opener in Australia, though there will no doubt be further developments between now and Melbourne.