Ferrari has managed to be a constant “thorn” for Mercedes across the 2026 Formula 1 season so far, and could still continue its trajectory into the second half of the campaign.
The Scuderia has produced an envied machine in the SF-26, but its power unit has been the big difference in terms of keeping up with rivals Mercedes.
An overall strong package has given the German marque the edge, with eight victories in the first 11 Grands Prix, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli leading the standings by 50 points.
But Lewis Hamilton’s win at Spain and Charles Leclerc’s at Silverstone has kept the fight going, and Hamilton’s impressive consistency sees him sit second in the table, albeit 50 points adrift of Antonelli.
The question now is whether its ADUO-assisted B-spec engine can keep up with the likewise secondary iteration of Mercedes’, but according to multiple W Series champion Jamie Chadwick, the Maranello-based squad has a chance.
“They [Ferrari] are the thorn for Mercedes that are preventing Mercedes from getting away,” she said to Sky F1. “The reliability of the Mercedes that’s holding them back is meaning that they have to focus on that, rather than just focusing on pure performance.
“They’re having to work out how they can make their cars for both of them to be comparable but also reliable.”
Ferrari’s nous for fast corner circuits could see a possibility of challenging Mercedes at Zandvoort next week, when F1 returns from its summer shutdown.
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