Ferrari telemetry shows nearly four-tenths straight-line deficit to Mercedes at Marina Bay

Lewis Hamilton’s costly Singapore Grand Prix strategy error denied Ferrari a potential double podium, but the data from Marina Bay highlighted an even more concerning problem for the Scuderia: the SF-26 was losing almost four tenths to Mercedes on the straights.

The Briton eventually finished sixth after a complicated race in which his tyre strategy unravelled, while Charles Leclerc secured second place. Yet Ferrari’s underlying performance numbers suggest the lost podium was only part of the story, with the power-unit deficit continuing to restrict what the car can achieve even at a circuit where long straights are not normally the defining performance factor.

Ferrari’s Singapore data exposes major straight-line deficit

Lewis Hamilton started the race on Medium tyres, a choice that proved less effective than Ferrari had hoped. After later switching to Softs, the seven-time world champion remained on track during the Virtual Safety Car triggered by Lance Stroll. Ferrari instructed him to stop, but the 41-year-old missed the pit entry before losing grip and eventually falling to sixth.

Martin Brundle was critical of the episode and suggested Hamilton had been attempting to take too much control of Ferrari’s race from behind the wheel. The result was particularly costly because the Maranello team had shown strong single-lap performance, qualifying second and third behind Max Verstappen before the Red Bull driver went on to win.

A broader analysis of Ferrari’s Singapore Grand Prix also highlighted how strategic decisions and the SF-26’s underlying limitations combined to prevent the team from converting its pace into a stronger result.

However, the more worrying element emerged from Ferrari’s performance data. Jolyon Palmer explained that his comparisons showed the SF-26 losing close to four tenths of a second to Mercedes on the straights at Marina Bay. The gap against Max Verstappen’s Red Bull was also significant, although not quite as pronounced.

Jolyon Palmer believes Ferrari is constrained by its power unit

Palmer argued that Ferrari is effectively competing with a major handicap because of the power unit. From the data and ghost-car comparisons he had studied, he believed the Scuderia simply lacked the necessary straight-line performance.

The scale of that disadvantage stood out because Singapore is not known for the type of long, flat-out sections seen at circuits such as Monza or Baku. Palmer therefore suggested that if Ferrari could lose almost four tenths on the straights at Marina Bay, it was easier to understand why the team had struggled to compete on faster layouts.

That concern fits into the wider picture of the Ferrari SF-26 development programme. Much of the team’s 2026 upgrade work has focused on aerodynamic performance, but improvements in that area cannot entirely compensate for a power-unit disadvantage when the car reaches full acceleration.

Charles Leclerc still managed to finish second in Singapore, while Hamilton had been in contention for another strong result before his race unravelled. Both Ferrari drivers have also returned to the podium twice since their respective victories in Barcelona and Silverstone, showing that the SF-26 remains capable of delivering competitive weekends despite its limitations.

Mexico offers hope despite Ferrari’s straight-line weakness

Despite the worrying numbers, Jolyon Palmer identified Mexico as Ferrari’s next major opportunity. He pointed to the unusual effect of altitude, which allows teams to run maximum-downforce configurations while still facing relatively low aerodynamic drag, and noted that Ferrari has often performed well there.

The assessment creates an intriguing contrast. Mexico could suit characteristics that help the Scuderia, but Ferrari’s Singapore straight-line deficit remains a concern whenever outright power becomes important. Faster venues, including Las Vegas, could therefore place the weakness under even greater scrutiny.

Attention will first turn to Austin, where Ferrari is expected to introduce a new upgrade package. The development has been eagerly anticipated by Charles Leclerc as the team attempts to prevent its rivals from moving further ahead. More details on the planned Ferrari upgrades for the United States Grand Prix underline how important the next development step could become.

The challenge is that aerodynamic improvements alone may not be enough to erase the entire deficit seen against Mercedes in Singapore. For Ferrari and its two drivers, the next races will therefore provide another test of whether gains elsewhere on the SF-26 can compensate for the weakness Palmer believes remains rooted in the power unit.

For Lewis Hamilton, whose latest Ferrari performances and developments can be followed through the Lewis Hamilton news archive, Singapore ultimately represented a costly missed opportunity. For the team as a whole, however, the four-tenths straight-line deficit may prove far more significant than one strategy mistake.