Ferrari began the 2026 Formula 1 season chasing Mercedes in terms of power-unit performance, with the German manufacturer establishing itself as the benchmark under the new regulations. Ferrari was granted two additional development opportunities through the ADUO system, but team principal Frédéric Vasseur never expected those upgrades to completely erase the deficit during the current season.
The issue was particularly evident at the Italian GP last Sunday (6), with Ferrari struggling for performance on the long straights at Monza. Vasseur had already highlighted difficulties with energy deployment at a circuit where straight-line speed is crucial, but insisted that the underlying problem goes beyond how the available energy is managed.
According to the Ferrari boss, the team is still missing “pure power” from its engine despite the latest ADUO specifications.
“I don’t want to give details, but when you have a lack of pure power, then you start to play with deployment to try to compensate in one straight line. But if you deploy more somewhere, for sure you will deploy less somewhere else and then you are going in the wrong spiral to try to play with this when you are fighting,” Vasseur explained after the race.
“Honestly, it’s not about deployment. I think deployment was okay-ish, that even McLaren, they were playing a little bit Friday and Saturday morning. At the end, we are missing pure power,” he admitted.
Vasseur also explained why the engine deficit becomes particularly costly at Monza compared with other circuits.
“The reality of this is that if you are missing X in Zandvoort, you are two or three tenths [down]. If you are missing X minus — I’m using letters because you will try to extrapolate — if you are missing a bit less than X in Monza, the delta with the Merc is two times bigger,” he said.
The FIA’s first ADUO assessment had identified Red Bull/Ford as the benchmark for the internal combustion engine, while Mercedes remained widely regarded as the strongest overall power unit. Ferrari’s latest upgrades therefore represented an important step, but Vasseur had previously stressed that the Monza package was intended as progress rather than a complete solution, as reported by GRANDE PRÊMIO.
The latest specification, which debuted at Monza, included power-unit changes aimed at increasing performance, with Ferrari having been granted two ADUO updates for 2026. However, the team principal said the development cycle of a Formula 1 engine makes it unrealistic to expect a major recovery in such a short timeframe.
“On the engine, the process is mega long because the lead time of the parts is long and the cost cap is not easy. You have to produce the engine for the season. You are already a bit like this and if you want to start to do the development, you have to produce a new batch of engines, and it’s tricky,” Vasseur said.
Ferrari therefore never expected ADUO to completely transform its position relative to Mercedes in 2026.
“We were not expecting to recover [with] ADUO 1 or ADUO 2. We are doing small steps, but what you have to keep in mind is that if you make a small step on the engine, even if you make a couple of horsepower, it’s a good step on the grid,” the Frenchman explained.
Vasseur believes the next major opportunity will come with Ferrari’s 2027 power unit.
“That means that now we will have a new engine next year. For sure, the target is to catch up, to catch up as soon as possible, but I was not expecting that in two months we will recover the delta with Mercedes,” he concluded.
Ferrari’s difficulties at Monza were reflected in its home-race result. Lewis Hamilton finished sixth, while Charles Leclerc retired after a heavy crash on the second lap, leaving the team without a podium at its most important home event of the season.
Formula 1 returns this weekend, from September 11-13, for the Spanish GP at Madrid’s new MADRING street circuit. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action from the 14th round of the 2026 season.
FAQ
Is Ferrari’s 2026 F1 engine still weaker than Mercedes’?
Yes. Frédéric Vasseur acknowledged that Ferrari is still lacking “pure power” compared with Mercedes, particularly on power-sensitive circuits such as Monza.
How many ADUO engine upgrades can Ferrari use in 2026?
Ferrari was granted two power-unit development opportunities under the ADUO framework for the 2026 season, with the latest specification introduced at Monza.
Can Ferrari close the engine gap to Mercedes in 2027?
Ferrari is targeting a significant reduction in the deficit with its 2027 power unit. Vasseur, however, stressed that engine development takes considerable time because of long component lead times and cost-cap restrictions.
