(Motorsport-Total.com) – Ferrari fans are currently experiencing a rollercoaster ride: After Lewis Hamilton’s surprising victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona-Catalonia, there was a setback at the Formula 1 race in Austria. And looking ahead to the next races in Silverstone and Spa, hopes for a turnaround seem slim.
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“Obviously, we had some great performances before,” Hamilton recalls his debut win with Ferrari just under three weeks ago. “But the fact is, as you could see in the race [in Austria], we lose quite a lot of time. I think it’s about four tenths of a second that we lose on the straights.”
Although Ferrari recently brought the first ADUO update for their own power unit, the Scuderia still clearly lags behind in pure engine power. “Making that up through the corners is difficult,” the record world champion knows.
“I think we basically have a great car,” Hamilton adds, referring to the effective aerodynamics of the SF-26. “We just have to keep working to get the maximum out of it, score as many points as possible until we can close this gap.”
Mercedes also better in energy management
Complicating matters is that Mercedes is significantly more efficient in energy management. “It’s not that I’m not confident. The fact is, we have long straights. I think this will be the most extraordinary weekend so far in terms of energy deployment,” Hamilton predicts.
“We drivers all talked in the driver chat about how poor the power delivery will be on this track. We’re simply running out of battery power. There are only a few corners where we can recover energy.”
“That’s why the MGU-K will be switched off for a large part of the lap, and that’s probably where we’ll have the biggest problems,” believes the Ferrari driver, who expresses a sobering suspicion: “The deficit could be twice as big.”
The next races will be “difficult” for Ferrari
Teammate Charles Leclerc assesses the situation similarly. He struggled with unexpected problems in Spielberg on Sunday. “It’s true that there were no problems in Austria until Sunday,” says the Monegasque. “But on Sunday, I definitely had difficulties.”
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“I think we’ve identified some points that played a big role in the lack of speed on Sunday. We’ll change that,” Leclerc shows at least cautious optimism that things might go a bit better in Silverstone.
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“But at the same time, to be fair, the next two races will be very difficult for the team, I think. The best I can do is keep my head down and keep pushing – no matter where we are struggling right now.”
Lewis Hamilton does not want to give up on the title fight entirely
For now, the third-placed world championship contender Hamilton does not want to think about the title fight. “We just have to get everything out of every weekend that is possible – and if possible even a little more than the car actually gives,” he says.
“And then there will be tracks where the disadvantage is somewhat neutralized. I could imagine Budapest being a closer fight because there are no long straights there. Honestly, we need more tracks like that.”
“But I also think it’s still too early,” the Brit adds, looking at the situation in the drivers’ championship. “Kimi is far ahead. That’s still a lot of points lead, and in the last race, he even extended his lead.”
“That’s why I said this was a good reality check for us,” Hamilton emphasizes, who has not lost faith: “It’s not over until it’s over. Every single person on the team is highly motivated and giving their all. I couldn’t wish for more.”
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