Ferrari’s ADUO upgrade fails to deliver as Lewis Hamilton raises engine reliability fears. Ferrari engine upgrade under scrutiny after Austrian GP as Lewis Hamilton reports power issues.

Following Lewis Hamilton’s victory in Spain, expectations inside Ferrari were sky-high. But the greater the expectations, the more painful the disappointment when they are not fulfilled. That is exactly what happened during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, where the Scuderia had hoped to confirm the progress shown by the SF-26 in recent races, validate the effectiveness of the upgrade package introduced in Spain, and reduce the engine performance gap to its rivals thanks to the updated power unit featuring the ADUO development.

Instead, the results painted a very different picture. Ferrari endured a difficult weekend at the Red Bull Ring, with the SF-26 struggling throughout the event and falling well behind its direct rivals. Given that Spielberg is one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar from a power unit perspective, the Austrian Grand Prix once again highlighted just how much work remains to be done in Maranello.

Fourth-fastest team with a lack of horsepower

In Austria, Ferrari fell well short of expectations, finishing behind not only Mercedes but also a resurgent Red Bull and even McLaren, which managed to establish itself as the third-fastest team despite facing several challenges of its own.

At the chequered flag, Lewis Hamilton finished fifth as Ferrari’s leading driver, while Charles Leclerc crossed the line in eighth after what proved to be an extremely difficult afternoon.

It was a harsh reality check on a circuit that clearly exposed the limitations of both the SF-26 project and the updated 067/6 power unit. Several signs throughout the weekend pointed to a lack of engine performance as one of the key reasons behind Ferrari’s disappointing showing. Sunday’s race only reinforced that impression, with neither driver able to compensate for the apparent power deficit at any stage.

ADUO fails to make the difference… and reliability questions emerge

Even the updated power unit incorporating the ADUO development failed to provide the expected boost, despite the optimism generated by several media reports before the weekend. As is well known, Ferrari introduced an engine upgrade made possible by Shell’s work on the fuel and further refinements to the 067/6 power unit.

However, as previously anticipated, the Scuderia had encountered several difficulties in extracting additional performance from the package. According to information we have received, the improvement in engine output may have been no greater than five horsepower.

Beyond the relatively modest power gain, Lewis Hamilton’s team radio messages also hinted at another potential concern. During the 71-lap Austrian Grand Prix, Ferrari may have encountered reliability-related issues with the power unit.

Midway through the race, Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer, Carlo Santi, instructed the seven-time world champion to switch to TS mode in order to keep engine temperatures under control and avoid risking a potential failure. It is another worrying sign for Ferrari during what is already proving to be a challenging phase of the season.

Santi: “Mode TS.”

Hamilton: “Why?”

Santi: “Temperatures.”

Hamilton: “I already don’t have any power!”