Frédéric Vasseur has acknowledged that Ferrari’s qualifying deficit against Mercedes is unlikely to disappear in the immediate future, potentially continuing to compromise Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc despite the SF-26’s improving race performance.
Ferrari has made a significant step forward since introducing its latest major upgrade package at the Spanish Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton claimed his first victory as a Ferrari driver in Barcelona, while Charles Leclerc subsequently won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. However, the Scuderia’s inability to challenge Mercedes consistently over a single lap remains a significant obstacle.
Ferrari qualifying deficit remains difficult to overcome
Speaking after the Belgian Grand Prix, Frédéric Vasseur conceded that Ferrari was already operating close to the limit of what it could extract from its power unit during qualifying. The team principal therefore did not anticipate any major short-term improvement in that area.
Vasseur suggested that the respective power unit characteristics could give Mercedes an advantage on a qualifying lap. Ferrari might benefit more over a race distance, although he emphasised that the team was not completely certain about that interpretation.
With limited scope to address the power unit issue immediately, Vasseur indicated that Ferrari’s most realistic response was to continue developing the SF-26, add performance through the car and gradually reduce the overall gap to Mercedes.
The consequence is that Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc can find themselves starting further down the grid than the SF-26’s race pace warrants. That often places both drivers in traffic and dirty air, making it more difficult to exploit the car’s potential across a full Grand Prix distance.
Mercedes remains unbeaten in 2026 qualifying
Ferrari’s recent grid positions show that progress has nevertheless been made. Lewis Hamilton achieved his best qualifying result of the season with second place in Barcelona, a result Charles Leclerc later matched in Austria and Britain.
Across the opening 10 Grands Prix, Hamilton has recorded an average qualifying position of 4.4, while Leclerc’s average stands at 4.6. A Ferrari has also started from the front row at three of the four races held since the Barcelona upgrade arrived.
Mercedes, however, has secured every pole position of the 2026 season. George Russell started first in Spain and Austria, before Andrea Kimi Antonelli took pole at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. That record underlines the specific one-lap advantage Ferrari is still trying to overcome.
Spa showed the cost of starting behind Mercedes
Charles Leclerc remained in contention for victory at Spa, where Ferrari moved him into the lead by pitting under the virtual safety car. Andrea Kimi Antonelli ultimately passed the Ferrari driver and won by 1.952 seconds, although Ferrari’s Belgian Grand Prix performance offered wider encouragement.
The result demonstrated both sides of the SF-26’s current position. Its race performance allowed Charles Leclerc to fight for victory, but Mercedes had once again controlled qualifying through Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s pole position.
Ferrari carries cautious hope into the Hungarian Grand Prix
Ferrari now heads to Budapest regarded by several figures in the Formula 1 paddock as a leading contender for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Hungaroring’s tight, technical layout is expected to suit the SF-26 chassis, with Ferrari’s low-speed cornering strength potentially becoming particularly valuable.
That favourable circuit profile does not remove the qualifying concern, nor does it guarantee Ferrari will convert its potential into victory. Charles Leclerc has already explained why the Scuderia must approach Hungary without excessive confidence, despite the encouraging expectations surrounding the car.
A more substantial step may have to wait until Ferrari introduces its second engine upgrade after the summer break, with Zandvoort or Monza identified in the source as possible debut venues. Until then, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc may continue relying on the SF-26’s race pace to recover the ground lost to Mercedes in qualifying.
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