Ferrari ‘quite down’ on horsepower but Leclerc accepts there’s more to the SF-26’s deficit
The ADUO evaluation took place in Canada.
Although Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari’s power unit is “quite down” on horsepower compared to rivals, he admits there’s more to the SF-26’s deficit than just the engine.
Mercedes has emerged as the team to beat in Formula 1’s all-new era, with the Brackley squad dominating the races with five Grand Prix wins and a P1 in the Sprint in China. The only race Mercedes hasn’t won was the Sprint in Miami, where neither championship leader Kimi Antonelli nor George Russell were even on the podium.
Charles Leclerc assesses Ferrari PU horsepower
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While the new F1 2026 regulations have moved Ferrari back toward the very front of the grid, the Scuderia’s wait for a win goes on.
There have, however, been encouraging signs that the chassis at least may be amongst the best on the grid.
Of course, having the best chassis only means so much if you do not have the power unit to match it.
As Formula 1 awaits an announcement from the FIA regarding the first period of Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities [ADUO], and which power unit manufacturers will qualify for additional homologation upgrades, Leclerc concedes Ferrari’s straight-line speed deficit isn’t just about the engine.
“It’s probably a bit of both,” he said when asked whether an engine upgrade or reducing drag would improve straight-line speed. “But surely in terms of horsepower, we are quite down.
“So I hope we are into the ADUO, then this will help us to close a little bit the gap.”
The first round of the ADUO evaluations ended after the Canadian Grand Prix but it is not yet known when the FIA will announce who has been granted the extra development budget.
Even if Ferrari are included in that group, Leclerc warned going into the weekend that it was not something that would instantly close the gap to Mercedes.
“I think it’s going to be very difficult [to catch Mercedes],” Leclerc said. “I think they have a very big advantage.
“And ADUO, I mean I obviously don’t know yet if we are in – I’ll be surprised if not because I can see sometimes in the straight that we are lacking a little bit compared to the Mercedes or even [Red Bull] Ford power unit – I think it will definitely be a help to try and get closer. Whether it will be enough to close the gap, I don’t know.
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“It also depends which level we get, if we get it at all, but surely if we get it, it will be a help to get closer.”
The Canadian Grand Prix was a struggle for Leclerc, which is in contrast to his teammate Lewis Hamilton who finished second on the podium.
Asked if there was any setup difference between the two cars, Leclerc said they only amounted to a tenth and it was more his feeling with the car.
“You can say there’s a tenth in a setup, but at the end of the day, it’s not that much,” he said.
“In Formula 1, now we are speaking about such small details so no it’s more about my feeling and just the way I drove today.
“By not having the feeling, you don’t push a car to its limits, and I can feel I’m completely off the pace.
“It’s not like I’m pushing, and then you can say, okay, the setup is not exactly where you want to be. By not having confidence on a day like this, I just didn’t push at all.”
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