[Saba Sports News] Mercedes have claimed five victories in a row so far this season. Ferrari showed brief competitiveness at the start of some races, yet the team has never been able to go toe-to-toe with Mercedes on pure pace. Lewis Hamilton described the situation as “extremely tough”.
In the Canadian Grand Prix held last week, Hamilton pushed hard in the closing stages to overtake Max Verstappen and secure second place. However, he finished more than ten seconds behind race winner Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Hamilton pointed out that Ferrari’s power output falls significantly short of Mercedes’, which is the core reason why they cannot compete. He believes Ferrari would be a genuine rival if the power deficit is closed. Even when Ferrari drivers activate the overtake mode and narrow the gap to within one second, Mercedes can still pull away effortlessly. Hamilton hopes the upcoming regulations will boost their performance and bring Ferrari back into contention.
The new rules he referred to are the FIA’s upcoming ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities). Under the rules, power unit manufacturers whose engines lag 2% to 4% behind the leading unit will be granted one extra upgrade token for the current season and one for the next. Ferrari is expected to qualify for this crucial upgrade, though the official confirmation is still pending.
In my opinion, Hamilton’s remarks are a realistic assessment of the car’s weaknesses from a professional driver, rather than complaints or pessimism. His comments may drive forward Ferrari’s power unit development. Charles Leclerc has voiced similar views recently, indicating that the power issue has become the biggest obstacle holding Ferrari back from challenging for the championship.