Ferrari contested qualifying for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix with two different power-unit specifications, giving the team a valuable direct comparison between the ADUO-2 fitted to Lewis Hamilton’s SF-26 and the ADUO-1 used by Charles Leclerc. The data from Madrid showed a visible straight-line advantage for the newer engine, yet the two Ferrari drivers ultimately finished only 0.006 seconds apart because Charles Leclerc recovered almost all of the deficit through the corners.
The comparison offers another important reference point for Ferrari’s ADUO power-unit development programme. While ADUO-2 has delivered measurable progress, the Madrid qualifying data also exposed areas where the SF-26 and its power unit still cannot completely match the strongest rival packages.
Ferrari confirms different ADUO specifications for Hamilton and Leclerc
During Saturday evening, Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz had suggested that Lewis Hamilton had fitted an ADUO-1 engine to his SF-26, matching the specification used by Charles Leclerc. That information was subsequently contradicted by reliable Italian media outlets like AutoRacer.it and by Federico Albano of FormulaPassion.it.
Ferrari therefore did run two different specifications in Spanish Grand Prix qualifying: Lewis Hamilton had ADUO-2, while Charles Leclerc used ADUO-1. Charles Leclerc’s Monza unit remained at Maranello for further analysis following his crash, but there was no corresponding reason for Ferrari to avoid bringing the newer specification to Madrid for Lewis Hamilton’s car.
The situation created an unusually useful direct comparison between two otherwise closely matched SF-26s. Despite the different engine specifications, the two Ferrari drivers were separated by just six thousandths of a second at the end of qualifying.
ADUO-2 advantage visible in Ferrari’s top-speed data
The clearest difference appeared in maximum speed. Cristiano Sponton’s analysis for AutoRacer.it highlighted the advantage Lewis Hamilton enjoyed on the straights with Ferrari’s newer specification.
“The difference can also be seen in the top speeds. Lewis Hamilton reaches around 335 km/h on the long straight compared with Charles Leclerc’s 333 km/h, and hits 299 km/h at the other main reference point, where his team-mate reaches 297. In Madrid, as we already saw at Monza, the step forward made by the Maranello engineers with the new internal-combustion-engine specification is evident.”
The figures support the progress already identified in Ferrari’s ADUO-2 technical development. The newer specification offered Lewis Hamilton a clear advantage in the sections where outright power and acceleration had the greatest influence.
However, Charles Leclerc’s fifth place takes on a different meaning once the two laps are examined in detail. According to the analysis, Lewis Hamilton gained approximately 0.15 seconds over his team-mate on the straights yet finished only 0.006 seconds ahead overall.
“That is precisely why Charles Leclerc’s fifth place takes on a different value. If Lewis Hamilton gains around a tenth and a half on the straights and finishes only six thousandths ahead, it means Charles Leclerc recovers almost all of it through the corners. In the second sector, the two Ferrari drivers record the same 32.766, 31 thousandths better than Lando Norris.”
Charles Leclerc recovers almost everything through the corners
The Monegasque driver produced an exceptionally strong lap through the technical sections, effectively cancelling the performance advantage provided by Lewis Hamilton’s newer engine specification.
“In S3 Charles Leclerc goes down to 30.621, making him as much as 80 thousandths faster than the McLaren. Charles Leclerc loses most of his time in the first sector, completed in 28.632 compared with Lando Norris’s 28.226. His 1:32.019 also matches his ideal time, a sign that he extracted practically everything from the available package.”
The fact that Charles Leclerc matched his theoretical best is particularly significant. There was no obvious combination of better sectors still available from the lap he completed, suggesting that he maximised what the ADUO-1-equipped car could deliver.
That does not mean the newer engine would automatically have transformed fifth place into pole position. The analysis explicitly cautions against making that assumption.
“You cannot claim that Charles Leclerc would automatically have taken pole with ADUO-2, but you can certainly say that it was an excellent qualifying performance, better than fifth place suggests.”
The comparison reinforces the impression that the SF-26 can be particularly effective when cornering speeds rise. That characteristic has been one of the reasons Ferrari expected the car to be better suited to Madring than Monza, although the Madrid weekend has also exposed weaknesses in slower sections and during the early phase of acceleration.
Ferrari SF-26 offers both drivers a wide operating window
The SF-26 is currently described as the only car that both of its drivers can push to the limit while adapting it to their different preferences. Ferrari therefore appears to have a relatively broad operating window, allowing Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to extract performance in different ways and in different sections of the circuit.
According to Federico Albano, Ferrari also pushed the power unit extremely hard in Madrid, accepting some potential reliability exposure in the effort to maximise performance. Starting as far forward as possible was particularly important because overtaking at the new Spanish circuit was expected to be difficult.
Even with that aggressive approach, however, there are technical limitations in Ferrari’s engine package that cannot yet be completely overcome compared with its rivals.
Ferrari power delivery weakness appears between Turns 6 and 7
One of the most significant issues emerged on the section between Turns 6 and 7, where a genuine performance hole remained visible throughout qualifying.
“In the section between Turn 6 and Turn 7 there is a real performance ‘hole’ that remained present throughout qualifying and, overall, cost around two tenths. It is no coincidence that this is the fairly steep uphill section, where the combustion engine’s torque deficit becomes noticeable, as we had already seen in a very similar way at Suzuka in the first sector.”
That weakness is relevant when assessing the progress made by the latest engine because the ADUO programme is not simply about maximum top speed. Power delivery, efficiency and how effectively the engine responds across different parts of its operating range are also central to Ferrari’s development challenge, as examined throughout the site’s Ferrari technical analysis coverage.
The same analysis concluded that Charles Leclerc appeared to use virtually everything available to him, whereas Lewis Hamilton had more reason to regret what happened on his final Q3 attempt.
“Between the two drivers, Charles Leclerc seems to have managed to use practically everything he had available. Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, can probably have a few more regrets. Compared with the penultimate attempt, Lewis Hamilton left around 0.12 seconds in the first two corners alone and, although he subsequently improved, his final lap was not particularly clean.”
Energy deployment issues reduce Hamilton’s ADUO-2 advantage
Lewis Hamilton also experienced some difficulty with energy delivery. The seven-time world champion lost approximately 0.05 seconds on the first straight and another tenth around Turn 15.
That means the observed advantage between the two engine specifications was apparently smaller than the roughly two tenths that ADUO-2 is believed capable of providing. It remains necessary to understand exactly what happened and whether Lewis Hamilton’s specification was exploited to its full potential during qualifying.
Considering Lewis Hamilton’s gap to Lando Norris’s pole position, and keeping in mind that the McLaren driver made an error at the final corner estimated to have cost around two tenths, the Ferrari driver might perhaps have been capable of reaching the front row with a cleaner final attempt and more effective energy delivery.
The data nevertheless provides further evidence that Ferrari’s newer specification has moved forward. The question is no longer whether ADUO-2 produces a gain, but how consistently the Scuderia can exploit that improvement throughout an entire qualifying lap. More updates on the British driver’s Ferrari campaign can be found in the Lewis Hamilton section.
Both Ferrari cars struggle over Madrid’s higher kerbs
The engine was not the only technical limitation visible during qualifying. Both SF-26s struggled to absorb the higher kerbs around Madring, especially through Turns 1 and 2. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc also found it difficult to recover stability immediately after the change of direction.
“The impression is that the suspension set-up was stiffened in terms of roll, but something was lost over the kerbs. After all, the new Spanish circuit is a technically complete challenge and requires compromises in every area.”
The trade-off illustrates the difficulty teams have faced during Formula 1’s first weekend at the new Madrid venue. A stiffer platform can provide advantages in some sections, but it may reduce compliance over aggressive kerbs and make the car more difficult to settle after sudden direction changes.
For Charles Leclerc, the resulting compromise did not prevent an extremely effective qualifying lap, particularly in the faster sections. His performance with ADUO-1 also makes the direct comparison with the newer power unit particularly informative. Further coverage of the Monegasque driver is available in the Charles Leclerc section.
Ferrari could split Hamilton and Leclerc strategies in the race
With Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc starting close together, Ferrari may have the opportunity to explore different strategies during the Spanish Grand Prix. The team also has a fresh set of Soft tyres available, giving it an additional option depending on how the race develops.
That strategic flexibility could prove valuable on a circuit where passing is expected to be difficult. Starting the two cars close together gives Ferrari the possibility of responding differently to tyre behaviour, traffic or race neutralisations rather than committing both SF-26s to the same plan.
After the intense first-lap battle between its drivers at Monza, Ferrari will also hope that Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc can exploit their closely matched performance in Madrid without becoming locked in another costly internal fight.
Qualifying ultimately showed both the progress and the remaining limits of Ferrari’s power-unit development. ADUO-2 produced a measurable straight-line advantage for Lewis Hamilton, while Charles Leclerc demonstrated just how much the SF-26 could recover through the corners with ADUO-1. Separated by only 0.006 seconds, the two cars provided perhaps the clearest comparison yet of where Ferrari’s latest engine specification has improved and where further performance is still required.
