Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari is making encouraging progress with its 2026 Formula 1 package, but has made clear that the Scuderia’s latest ADUO engine upgrade was never expected to eliminate its performance deficit to Mercedes in one step.
The seven-time world champion highlighted straight-line speed as one of the clearest remaining differences between the two teams. At the Italian Grand Prix, Hamilton estimated that Mercedes held an advantage worth around six tenths of a second on the straights, compared with approximately three to four tenths at most other circuits.
Ferrari has continued developing both the SF-26 and its power unit in an attempt to reduce that disadvantage. However, Hamilton’s assessment underlines the scale of the task: the latest engine intervention has moved the package forward, but it has not transformed the competitive picture.
Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari ADUO engine upgrade was never a complete solution
Ferrari was granted Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities by the FIA, giving the manufacturer scope for two power unit upgrades during 2026 and a further two in 2027. The first of its 2026 developments arrived at the Italian Grand Prix and concentrated on the turbo.
The Scuderia had opted for a smaller turbo concept at the beginning of the season. That design reduces turbo lag and improves responsiveness when the driver initially accelerates and applies the throttle out of corners. The trade-off described in the 2026 package, however, is reduced performance at the upper end of the speed range.
That characteristic has contributed to Ferrari’s recurring straight-line concerns and will remain especially relevant at circuits where prolonged full-throttle running places greater emphasis on energy deployment and top speed. The next race in Azerbaijan therefore represents another significant examination, with the SF-26 facing a demanding energy test in Baku.
Hamilton acknowledged that Ferrari has improved both the chassis and engine despite operating with this disadvantage. He stressed that the team already knew its most recent power unit development would not provide a single decisive solution capable of completely removing the gap.
Instead, the Briton took encouragement from the speed at which the Maranello operation continues to make incremental gains. In Hamilton’s assessment, consistently moving the car and engine forward is a positive sign given the difficulty involved in producing meaningful improvements during a Formula 1 season.
Mercedes could also introduce its own ADUO engine development
Ferrari’s task is complicated further by the prospect of Mercedes continuing its own power unit development. Mercedes is also expected to introduce an ADUO-assisted engine before the end of the 2026 season, with George Russell waiting for that specification before taking his new power unit.
That means Ferrari cannot necessarily treat its own upgrades as gains against a static target. While the Scuderia works to reduce its deficit, its principal benchmark can continue developing as well.
The scale of Mercedes’ 2026 performance has already been evident across the campaign, while Ferrari has faced a more complicated technical picture. The Italian team must extract more from the SF-26 while also addressing the straight-line weakness highlighted by Hamilton, an issue that adds further significance to Ferrari’s challenging outlook for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Hamilton wants Ferrari focused on execution rather than Mercedes
Despite identifying the Mercedes advantage, Lewis Hamilton does not believe Ferrari should become preoccupied with its rival. His priority is for the team to concentrate on maximising its own weekends and delivering consistently rather than allowing Mercedes’ performance to dictate its approach.
That position comes with Hamilton’s championship prospects having suffered another major setback in Madrid. His retirement from the Spanish Grand Prix left him 101 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, further weakening his hopes of fighting for the 2026 drivers’ crown. Ferrari later identified the cause of Hamilton’s Madrid brake failure, which had produced his first DNF of the campaign.
The Briton has also endured a messy spell featuring several grid penalties, including a sanction for impeding Oscar Piastri during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Against that backdrop, Hamilton believes Ferrari’s most productive approach is to focus internally rather than measuring every weekend against Mercedes.
He argued that there will inevitably be races when Mercedes executes exceptionally well and others when the championship-leading operation makes mistakes. Ferrari’s opportunity, in his view, comes from establishing greater consistency and optimising each Grand Prix weekend so it is positioned to capitalise whenever its rival leaves an opening.
Ferrari needs progress and consistency to keep pressure on Mercedes
Hamilton’s assessment therefore separates two elements of Ferrari’s challenge. The first is technical: reducing the performance deficit through continued development of the SF-26 and its power unit. The second is operational, ensuring that the team extracts as much as possible from the machinery it already has.
The latest ADUO development addresses part of the first challenge, but Hamilton does not regard it as an upgrade capable of suddenly putting Ferrari on equal terms with Mercedes. The encouraging element for the 41-year-old is instead the continued sequence of improvements being produced at Maranello.
With Baku next on the schedule, the effectiveness of that progress will soon face another demanding test. Azerbaijan’s lengthy full-throttle sections should once again place Ferrari’s straight-line performance under scrutiny, while Hamilton’s championship situation leaves little margin for further compromised weekends.
Rather than expecting one technical breakthrough to overturn Mercedes’ advantage, Hamilton’s message is centred on accumulation: continue improving the car and engine, execute each weekend more consistently and be ready to exploit opportunities when the championship leader fails to maximise its own potential.
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