Lewis Hamilton has warned the 2026 Formula 1 season could be “done,” after raising concerns about the “extra power” from former team Mercedes.
The Silver Arrows finally appeared to let its W17 loose at Albert Park on Saturday, with George Russell claiming a dominant pole position, with third-placed Isack Hadjar five tenths behind second-placed Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Winter-long suspicions that the Brackley-based squad’s power unit, with its controversial compression ratio loophole, will do the damage to its rivals once on track in anger for the first time.
And with both cars appearing to have a notable edge on its rivals, there is currently going to be a significant game of catch-up to Mercedes needing to be played.
“I don’t understand it exactly,” Hamilton told media including, Motorsport Week.
“They didn’t show that they could turn it up in testing and now they’ve got this extra power from somewhere.
“We need to understand what that is. I hope it’s not this compression ratio thing. Hopefully, it’s just pure power and we’ve got to do a better job.
“But if it is the compression thing, then I will be disappointed that the FIA allowed that to be the case, that it’s not to the book.
“I will be pushing my team to do the same thing so we can get more powerful.”
The June rule-change, which sees the compression ratio measurements change, putting Mercedes’ supposed advantage under threat, means that there are seven races for the team to capitalise now before a potential equilibrium of the playing field.
Asked if it could be considered a positive that this apparent advantage may only last that long, Hamilton replied: “Then the season is done.
“Well, not done, but seven races, a few months, you lose a lot of points when you’re a second behind in qualifying.”
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