Lando Norris has admitted he is concerned about Ferrari’s potential following the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. The reigning world champion finished the race in third place, nearly 24 seconds behind winner Lewis Hamilton, who secured his first victory with the Italian team.
Lewis Hamilton dominated the race, finishing almost 20 seconds ahead of George Russell and bringing Mercedes’ winning streak to an end. Meanwhile, Lando Norris crossed the line a considerable distance behind the leading duo, highlighting the significant gap Ferrari managed to establish at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Lando Norris’ comments on Ferrari’s engine situation
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Lando Norris openly acknowledged Ferrari’s current strengths and suggested the team could become even more dangerous in the future.
“We’re lucky that Ferrari don’t have a better engine at the moment,” Lando Norris said.
He added that if the Maranello team were equipped with a more competitive power unit, they would be capable of dominating the championship. According to the British driver, Ferrari is currently the clear benchmark when it comes to cornering performance: “We’re not even close to them. That’s the reality of the situation. We are very, very far away from where we should be.”
The McLaren driver continued his warning by saying: “If they make improvements on the engine side, then they will embarrass everyone. We really need to focus and see what improvements we can make.”
Andrea Stella’s assessment of Ferrari’s strengths
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella echoed Norris’ concerns and highlighted what he believes is Ferrari’s greatest advantage: the SF-26 chassis.
According to Stella, Ferrari currently possesses “the best chassis” in Formula 1. He pointed out that the SF-26 is particularly strong through medium-speed corners, even if it is not necessarily the fastest car on the straights.
“We can see, especially in the medium-speed corners, that Ferrari is the fastest car through the corners, not necessarily the fastest on the straights. From McLaren’s point of view, we are competitive in the high-speed corners, such as Turns 3, 9 and 14, but overall we struggle for grip in the medium- and low-speed corners,” the former Ferrari team member explained.
The Italian team principal also praised Ferrari’s development work and the effectiveness of the upgrades introduced on the SF-26: “They have been able to upgrade their car, they have gained performance, and now they are building on that to win races and have been able to capitalize on it. So there is definitely work to do in terms of car performance,” he said.
Ferrari’s future development remains a concern for rivals
Part of the concern expressed by both Lando Norris and McLaren stems from Ferrari’s remaining development potential. The Italian team still has two engine upgrade opportunities available during the current season, as well as two more for next year under Formula 1’s ADUO system.
That additional room for power unit development could play a crucial role in shaping the balance of power over the coming months. With the SF-26 already proving to be one of the strongest cars in terms of chassis performance and aerodynamic efficiency, further gains from the engine department could make Ferrari an even greater threat as the championship battle heads into its decisive phase.
For that reason, Ferrari’s rivals will be watching the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix very closely, aware that the Scuderia’s recent progress may only be the beginning of a much larger step forward.
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