Lewis Hamilton has explained why the chase to Mercedes will take Ferrari a matter of months, as the Scuderia works on upgrading its Formula 1 power unit
Ferrari unveiled a new power unit in Austria, which went on to power Charles Leclerc to victory in Silverstone the following race. Despite that, Lewis Hamilton still says that catching up to Mercedes’ class-leading engine will still take time.
Whilst the chassis of the SF-26 appears to be the strongest of the field, their power unit is holding them back. It has a smaller turbo compared to rivals, giving them strong power out of corners but lacks straight-line speed. Something which both Hamilton and Leclerc have complained of, as the Mercedes and Red Bull engines have an advantage on long straights.
Talking about the ongoing work to upgrade the power unit, Hamilton explained that it was not a quick fix.
He said to media, including Motorsport Week: “When it comes to the engine, there is not a huge amount that the driver can do really.
“It is the guys in the factory and the expertise they bring to the table to discover the changes needed in order to unlock potential within the engine.
“From a driver’s side, every weekend we debrief on things we feel in terms of drivability. When we initially pick up the throttle, to the gear-shifts, the gear ratios and the things we need changing.
“So we’re pushing for changes, or at least highlighting them for the team to go back and test on the simulator and see if it can bring time.”
Hamilton praises reliability of SF-26
The seven-time World Champion called the reliability of the 2026 Ferrari entry ‘the most amazing thing’. Many teams on the grid have been struggling with reliability under the new regulations. Namely Mercedes, with several electrical and mechanical failures causing them to directly lose points to the closing-in Ferraris.
“Sometimes it feels like there is a lack of battery power at the end of the straight because you’re seeing it on the overlays to Mercedes and Red Bull, and you sit down and talk about it.
“But you have to understand that it takes months to design and make changes to get the reliability, and the most amazing thing is that the team have built a reliable car and a reliable engine, and now we can build on that foundation, thanks to the rule change.”
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