Lewis Hamilton delivers honest verdict on Ferrari power unit: “It will take months to fix”. Lewis Hamilton warns Ferrari’s engine deficit will take months to overcome.

Lewis Hamilton admitted Ferrari’s power unit deficit played a major role in the Scuderia’s disappointing performance at the Austrian Grand Prix, warning that closing the gap to Mercedes-powered rivals will not happen overnight after finishing fifth at the Red Bull Ring.

Lewis Hamilton unable to repeat Barcelona success

Just two weeks after Ferrari’s impressive victory in Barcelona, the mood in Maranello changed dramatically following a difficult weekend in Austria. The team had expected the Red Bull Ring to expose some of the SF-26’s weaknesses because of the circuit’s emphasis on engine performance, but there was still hope Ferrari could establish itself as the second-fastest team, or at least finish behind only Max Verstappen.

Instead, the race unfolded very differently. Ferrari struggled throughout the Grand Prix and even found itself behind a McLaren package that has made far less progress in recent months. Lewis Hamilton managed to salvage fifth place, finishing behind Oscar Piastri, but despite his encouraging team radio after the chequered flag, the seven-time world champion made no attempt to hide his disappointment with the overall result.

Hamilton also expressed concern about Ferrari’s engine performance, explaining that reducing the deficit is a long-term project rather than something that can be solved quickly. According to the British driver, developing a Formula 1 power unit involves months of design work, testing and reliability validation before meaningful gains can be achieved.

His assessment echoed Team Principal Frederic Vasseur’s recent remarks that Ferrari’s first ADUO upgrade is not a magic solution capable of instantly eliminating the performance gap. Attention now shifts to Silverstone, another circuit where engine power will be crucial, although aerodynamic efficiency will also play an important role.

Lewis Hamilton explains Ferrari’s engine concerns

“We already saw it on Friday: we were the fastest through the corners, but then we were losing six tenths on the straights alone to the Mercedes-powered cars,” Lewis Hamilton told Sky Sport F1.

“In qualifying we managed to close the gap and did a great job overnight, but today we also had overheating issues. The car was sliding around and the balance was very difficult to manage. At the beginning I thought I could match George Russell’s pace, but then the tyres started to degrade.

“After that they simply drove away from us on the straights, so you have to push even harder through the corners to make up that difference. I didn’t expect the gap to be this large. We’re racing at altitude here and we thought that might give us a better opportunity, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case.”

Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari’s engine deficit remains substantial and warned that it may not be possible to erase it completely during the current campaign.

“I think the gap in terms of the engine is very, very big. I don’t know whether it can be recovered within a single season. It takes months and months to develop, to test reliability and to introduce all the necessary changes, and I don’t have any information about that.

“I think we’ll be able to make another step forward later in the season, but before then we have some very challenging races ahead. At circuits with lots of corners, we hope to be in a better position. If we look at Silverstone, it won’t be easy because there are long straights there too, although it’s usually a track where I perform well.” – the British driver concluded at the end of the Austrian Grand Prix earlier today.