Lewis Hamilton highlights Ferrari’s strength in corners but points to engine deficit – Chinese GP. Lewis Hamilton analyzes Ferrari’s performance after Sprint Qualifying in Shanghai.

Ferrari failed to truly make an impact during the Sprint Qualifying session for the Chinese Grand Prix, despite some encouraging signs from the overall behavior of the SF-26. Lewis Hamilton provided an honest assessment of the situation after the session, describing a Friday that brought both positive moments and clear difficulties for the Maranello-based team.

The British driver first wanted to highlight the impressive work carried out by the engineers after a rather complicated FP1 session, in which he had even spun the car. Despite that difficult start, the team managed to significantly improve the setup ahead of qualifying.

“Yes, I’m very satisfied. The team did a fantastic job, especially my engineers who completely turned the car around, because FP1 had been quite complicated and I even spun. The car gave me great sensations.”

Even with the improved feeling with the SF-26, Hamilton made it clear that one major limitation remains for Ferrari in Shanghai: straight-line speed. According to the seven-time world champion, the difference compared to rivals—especially Mercedes—is particularly evident on the straights.

“I think we’re losing quite a lot of time on the straights, too much to lose on the straights. So we have a lot of work to do, we really need to push hard back in Maranello to improve in terms of power.”

What Ferrari is missing to match Mercedes

The Ferrari driver explained that this weakness does not come as a surprise to the team. In fact, the gap to some of their main rivals had already been identified internally long before the Chinese Grand Prix weekend.

“It’s something we were already aware of. Last year we knew that Mercedes had started earlier than the others in certain areas, just like they did the last time. They’ve done a fantastic job, and we need to raise our level—we need to push to reduce that gap.” – the Briton pointed out.

However, Lewis Hamilton also pointed out the positive aspects of the SF-26. In terms of cornering performance, Ferrari appears capable of matching the pace of the leading teams, which offers some encouragement heading into the race sessions.

“In terms of the car, the sensations are great and we can compete with them in the corners, but when you’re missing power, then it becomes a problem.”

Lewis Hamilton’s assessment highlights the fundamental technical battle of the 2026 season: the trade-off between aerodynamic efficiency and raw hybrid deployment. While the SF-26 has clearly mastered the “mechanical” side of the regulations—offering a stable platform that allows its drivers to attack Shanghai’s complex sequences—it is currently being out-muscled on the long 1.2km straight. For a driver of Lewis Hamilton’s experience, recognizing that the chassis is “great” is a promising sign for the long-term development of the car, but the immediate concern remains the sheer kilowatt advantage held by the Silver Arrows. The team now moves into the Sprint Race and the Grand Prix, which means the focus will be on maximizing their cornering advantage, hoping that race-trim energy management might offer a chance to neutralize the Mercedes power advantage. The hunt for more horsepower is officially the top priority at Maranello.