Lewis Hamilton heads into his home Grand Prix fully aware that Silverstone may present one of Ferrari’s toughest challenges of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Unlike previous years, the British circuit is expected to expose the SF-26’s biggest weakness rather than play to its strengths, as the characteristics of the current power units and energy deployment could make Ferrari’s straight-line deficit even more noticeable.
Silverstone could magnify Ferrari’s power unit weakness
Even before the Austrian Grand Prix, it was widely expected that the Red Bull Ring would be one of the most engine-sensitive circuits on the calendar, making it particularly difficult for Ferrari to hide the current limitations of its power unit. Those weaknesses were amplified by the FIA’s energy management requirements, with the circuit’s long succession of straights reducing the opportunities to recharge the battery and forcing teams to complete the lap with less electrical energy available.
Silverstone could prove even more demanding. With so many sections driven at full throttle, the battery is expected to deplete extremely quickly, while the limited number of braking zones will provide very few opportunities to recover energy. As a result, the cars will spend much of the lap relying almost entirely on their internal combustion engines, an area where Ferrari is currently believed to trail both the Mercedes and Red Bull power units.
There is another important factor to consider. Corners that have traditionally been regarded as high-speed bends, where aerodynamic downforce could make a decisive difference, are now expected to behave more like medium-speed corners because of the reduced top speeds. That means the cars should negotiate them with less difficulty, effectively reducing one of the SF-26’s greatest strengths: the impressive aerodynamic load that Ferrari demonstrated in Spain and at several other races this season.
There is also genuine concern that drivers may need to use lift-and-coast techniques through certain sections in order to recover enough energy. Maximising the MGU-K deployment during the first part of a straight offers a much greater performance benefit, allowing drivers to reach a higher top speed before relying solely on the internal combustion engine during the remainder of the acceleration zone.
All these factors have led Lewis Hamilton to openly admit that Silverstone could become one of Ferrari’s most difficult weekends of the year. On the positive side, the British circuit is less demanding on the rear tyres than tracks like Austria or Miami, where the SF-26 struggled significantly with rear tyre degradation.
Lewis Hamilton: “The deficit could even double”
“Obviously we’ve had some great performances in the past. But the fact is that, as we saw in the race, we’re losing a huge amount of time. I think it was around four tenths of a second per lap just on the straights,” said Lewis Hamilton, referring to Ferrari’s performance in Austria, where the team suffered a clear straight-line speed deficit.
“It’s difficult to recover that time in the corners afterwards. I think we have a great car fundamentally. We just need to keep working, maximise what we have and achieve the best results possible.”
Looking ahead to Silverstone, the seven-time world champion admitted he expects an even more complicated weekend because of the circuit’s unique energy deployment characteristics.
“It’s not that I don’t have confidence. The point is that there are very long straights here. I think this will be the most unpredictable weekend of all in terms of power deployment. All of us drivers have been talking about it in the group chat, saying just how little power we’re going to have around this circuit.”
“We’ll run out of battery energy. There are only a few corners where we can recharge, so the MGU-K will be switched off for a large part of the lap, and that’s probably where we’ll suffer the most. The deficit could even double,” added Lewis Hamilton, explaining that once the electric motor is no longer able to compensate, Ferrari’s disadvantage in internal combustion engine power could become even more apparent.
“If you look at the speed traces, we start losing deployment as we enter Copse. Normally, at Copse, the engine is screaming as you enter and drive through the corner flat out, hanging on to the steering wheel. This year, however, the engine will probably already be lifting off. We’ll shift from seventh to eighth while still at full throttle, trying to keep the revs up, and from Turn 9 to Turn 10 it will basically be one very long straight without deployment.”
“Maggotts and Becketts won’t feel the same either, because I think you’ll have to lift and let the car coast for a while there. It’s really a completely different circuit now. We’ll see tomorrow. There will definitely still be something to enjoy in the sections where power isn’t so important, but the best parts of the lap are Maggotts, Becketts, Copse and Stowe—and that’s exactly where the power drops away.”
A Ferrari shaped by Lewis Hamilton’s feedback
Lewis Hamilton remains the most successful driver in Silverstone history and, although he knows adding another victory this weekend will be far from easy, he has not completely ruled out the possibility of a surprise. The SF-26 appears to suit his driving style far better than Ferrari’s previous generation of ground-effect cars, which were notoriously stiff and difficult to interpret.
The British driver also believes that some of the improvements seen on this year’s Ferrari are the result of the feedback he has provided since joining the team. After spending a full season working alongside Ferrari’s engineers, many of his technical suggestions have now been incorporated into the car.
“One of the biggest positives is finally having a car that I’ve genuinely helped to develop. There are elements on the car, like the front suspension, that I asked for last year. They built it for the simulator and I tested it there. Then this year I finally got the brakes I wanted, and that has been a major step forward,” Lewis Hamilton explained.
“There have also been changes within my engineering group, an internal reorganisation in how my team connects with the rest of the organisation, and we’ve realigned with the senior management to make sure we’re all moving in the same direction, working together instead of against each other. Everything is in a much better place now, and that allows us to progress as one.”
“Last year every weekend was incredibly difficult, and when you’re going through situations like that it’s natural for people to listen to you less. They think, ‘Why should we listen to you when the results look like this?’ It took a long time to rebuild that trust, but I believe it’s there now, and the things I ask for are being implemented. It’s a two-way street, of course. We’re pushing each other, and that collaboration has finally arrived. That’s the most important thing.”
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