Ferrari’s disappointing Austrian Grand Prix has come under even greater scrutiny after championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli revealed he noticed an unusual characteristic of the SF-26 while racing directly behind both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Despite Ferrari locking out the second row of the grid after an encouraging qualifying performance, Sunday’s race unfolded very differently. The Scuderia quickly lost ground to Mercedes and Red Bull, with Lewis Hamilton eventually finishing fifth and Charles Leclerc dropping to eighth after a difficult afternoon at the Red Bull Ring.
For Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who spent much of the race battling both Ferrari drivers, the performance deficit became particularly noticeable during several overtaking opportunities.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli noticed unusual Ferrari energy deployment
Starting fourth on the grid directly behind the two Ferrari drivers, Andrea Kimi Antonelli was perfectly positioned to observe how the SF-26 behaved during race conditions.
One of the most striking moments came while attacking Charles Leclerc. The Mercedes driver closed an enormous speed gap on the approach to one of Spielberg’s fastest braking zones, gaining several car lengths in just a matter of seconds.
Telemetry visible from the Ferrari suggested the SF-26 was harvesting electrical energy at that moment rather than deploying maximum hybrid power, creating a remarkable difference in acceleration between the two cars.
Reflecting on the race afterwards, Andrea Kimi Antonelli explained that Ferrari’s energy deployment appeared highly unusual. He admitted the closing speed had been so dramatic early in the race that he had almost made contact with Charles Leclerc into Turn 1 on the second lap because the speed difference was close to 30 km/h.
Ferrari’s straight-line weakness becomes increasingly obvious
The comments from Andrea Kimi Antonelli reinforced concerns that Ferrari continues to struggle with straight-line performance despite introducing the first stage of its ADUO-assisted power unit development during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.
Although the latest engine update represented an important milestone for Maranello, its impact appeared limited over a full race distance. Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc repeatedly found themselves vulnerable on the long straights, forcing them to defend aggressively against faster rivals.
While the SF-26 remained competitive through several of Spielberg’s slower corners, the advantage disappeared almost immediately whenever acceleration and top speed became the deciding factors.
The race highlighted a recurring pattern that has affected Ferrari throughout much of the 2026 Formula 1 season: strong cornering performance but an inability to consistently match Mercedes and Red Bull on power-sensitive circuits.
Lewis Hamilton had already identified Ferrari’s biggest limitation
The observations made by Andrea Kimi Antonelli echoed concerns that Lewis Hamilton had already raised during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.
Following qualifying, the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion acknowledged that Ferrari’s greatest weakness remained its straight-line speed. Despite extracting an excellent lap over a single qualifying attempt, he understood that maintaining that level of competitiveness across a full Grand Prix would prove considerably more difficult.
Those fears became reality on Sunday as tyre degradation, overheating and limited top speed combined to prevent the Italian side from fighting consistently with Mercedes and Red Bull.
Pressure grows before Silverstone
The Austrian Grand Prix dealt another blow to Ferrari’s championship ambitions. Lewis Hamilton surrendered second place in the Drivers’ Championship to George Russell, while Ferrari slipped even further behind Mercedes in the Constructors’ standings despite bringing one of its most anticipated development packages of the season.
Attention now turns immediately to Silverstone, another circuit where engine performance will play an important role. However, the Maranello team will hope the fast-flowing nature of the British Grand Prix venue, with its long sequence of high-speed corners, allows the aerodynamic strengths of the SF-26 to compensate more effectively for its remaining power deficit.
Whether Ferrari’s latest upgrades can finally deliver meaningful progress will become one of the biggest storylines heading into the next Formula 1 weekend, as both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc look to return to the fight at the front.
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