Lewis Hamilton should actually love Ferrari chief’s ‘unrealistic’ claim ahead of Austrian Grand Prix

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Enrico Gualtieri admits it is “unrealistic” to think Ferrari’s engine upgrade for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix might change their season, and Lewis Hamilton should be thrilled.

Hamilton heads to the Red Bull Ring this weekend fresh off securing his first Grand Prix win as a Ferrari driver in Barcelona in round seven. The win in Montmelo also moved the seven-time champion to within 41 points of Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes atop the standings.

More than the 25 points he gained over Antonelli after the Italian’s retirement in Barcelona, Hamilton has changed the internal balance at Ferrari to the point that the Scuderia are now ready to go all-in on his title bid. The pride of Italy are keen to give him everything they can.

The latest example of Ferrari’s desire to thwart Mercedes this year will come at the Austrian GP. Ferrari will debut an upgraded engine in Austria that their simulations show is worth 0.2 seconds per lap, but power unit technical director Gualtieri is playing down all expectations.

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Ferrari’s power unit chief plays down the impact of their Austrian Grand Prix engine upgrade

Gualtieri has conceded ahead of the Austrian GP that it is “unrealistic” to think that Ferrari’s engine upgrade at the Red Bull Ring alone is enough to make the SF-26 the car to beat. He is also keen to stress that it is only a “limited” update that falls in line with a longer-term plan.

READ MORE: How to watch the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix on TV, plus the weather forecast

Gualtieri told Top Speed: “The update we’re introducing in Spielberg is relatively small and reflects the work we’ve done in recent weeks to translate the progress we’ve made in our development programs onto the track…

“This is a limited update and, on its own, it will not be enough to change the dynamics ​​on the track. What it demonstrates is the attitude of the team and our technical partners, all determined to continue pushing and exploiting every opportunity to improve the car.

“In a championship as competitive as the current one, it is unrealistic to think that a single update could transform the overall picture, especially given the current regulatory and homologation constraints.

“Performance is built up over time, through many small steps and thanks to the ability to optimise the package race by race.”

Hamilton should actually love that Gualtieri is playing down the expectations about Ferrari’s engine upgrade at the Austrian GP, as the Scuderia’s power unit chief has made it clear that the team will not rest on their laurels thinking that they are close to having the quickest car.

In the recent past when Ferrari had started a season strongly and believed a title fight was on the cards, they left the door open for Red Bull to take advantage. Sebastian Vettel denied Fernando Alonso the 2012 title and Max Verstappen beat Charles Leclerc in 2022 because of Ferrari not doing enough in the development war to at least match what Red Bull produced.

Ferrari are already working on another engine upgrade with changes to the turbocharger

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Ferrari worked closely with fuel supplier Shell while designing their upgraded engine, which they could only introduce after getting two chances for updates in 2026 through ADUO. The FIA believes Ferrari’s internal combustion engine is at least 4% worse than Red Bull’s design.

It is said that Shell’s new fuel is a fundamental aspect of Ferrari’s upgraded engine, as it will play a major role in allowing the Scuderia to run their ICE at temperatures as high as 110°C. But it is not the end goal, as Ferrari will take another engine update to Zandvoort or Monza.

According to Motorsport.com, the engine upgrade that Ferrari plan on introducing at one of the first two rounds after the summer break will also see changes to the turbocharger. The impeller diameter will stay the same, but the number and angle of the blades could change.

While Ferrari intentionally created their initial engine with a smaller turbo to produce rapid starts, changes to F1’s race start procedures and their rivals’ greater knowledge after seven rounds have negated their advantage. So, Ferrari will introduce a bigger turbo later in 2026.