Mercedes have reportedly raised internal concerns that Ferrari are not yet fully exploiting the maximum performance of their power unit during the early stages of the 2026 Formula 1 season, adding another layer of intrigue to an already highly competitive championship battle.
The Silver Arrows have made a dominant start to the campaign, with George Russell securing victory in Australia before Kimi Antonelli followed up with back-to-back wins in China and Japan, establishing Mercedes as the early benchmark in both pace and execution.
Kimi Antonelli has quickly positioned himself as a leading contender for the world championship, currently holding a nine-point advantage over teammate George Russell, as Mercedes continue to extract strong performance from their package across a variety of circuits.
Despite this strong momentum, Mercedes’ progress has recently been complicated by regulatory changes, including the FIA’s decision to ban what has been described as a “qualifying trick” previously used to optimise performance. The system, linked to aggressive engine deployment strategies also explored by Red Bull, is believed to have provided short bursts of additional speed in specific conditions.
Mercedes and Ferrari exchange concerns over engine deployment strategy
According to paddock reports, Mercedes have now turned their attention toward Ferrari’s approach to engine usage, with suggestions that the Italian team may also be withholding full power deployment during the opening phase of the season.
F1 journalist Mark Hughes has indicated that there is growing mutual suspicion among top teams, explaining that Mercedes believe Ferrari are not consistently running at maximum engine output, while Ferrari hold similar concerns regarding Mercedes’ own performance margins.
Speaking on the Motor Sport F1 Show, Hughes noted that both teams appear uncertain about each other’s true performance level, suggesting that this competitive caution may also help explain why Red Bull remains closely involved in the fight despite early expectations of a gap between the leading teams.
This strategic uncertainty has effectively created a situation in which none of the top three manufacturers is fully revealing its absolute performance ceiling, making race comparisons and qualifying benchmarks increasingly difficult to interpret.
Ferrari development push aims to match Mercedes on equal terms
Inside Ferrari, the focus remains on closing the gap to the German side while continuing to maximise the performance potential of the SF-26 package driven by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have reportedly expressed greater confidence in the SF-26 compared to its predecessor, with the current car offering improved drivability, better balance through corners, and a more stable platform for race execution. Their on-track battles have also highlighted the car’s stronger overall competitiveness compared to the previous season.
Behind the scenes, Ferrari are now believed to be accelerating parts of their technical development programme in order to remain competitive with Mercedes throughout the European phase of the championship.
According to Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ferrari initially scheduled significant power unit-related upgrades for July, but internal discussions have since focused on potentially bringing forward key improvements to as early as the Barcelona round, depending on development progress.
It has also been reported that Ferrari engineers are closely monitoring rival behaviour, with particular attention to Mercedes’ development trajectory, as the team aims to ensure it can challenge for victories on genuinely equal terms rather than relying on circuit-specific advantages.
As the 2026 Formula 1 season develops, Ferrari’s upward performance trend, combined with the growing competitiveness of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, suggests that Mercedes may soon face increased pressure if the SF-26 upgrades deliver the expected gains.
For now, however, the uncertainty surrounding engine deployment strategies across the front-running teams continues to add a tactical layer to the championship fight, with Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren all attempting to conceal their true performance potential.
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