Ferrari moved quickly to target Mercedes’ early power-unit advantage after collecting data from the opening two rounds and began planning a reconfigured engine intended to blunt the reported “super-clipping” performance. Technical director Enrico Gualtieri said the work is a targeted technical response, not a regulatory complaint, and signals an on-track engineering battle prompted by Mercedes’ Brixworth power unit.

To close the deficit, Ferrari scheduled a private test at Monza to better understand the shortfall created by the Brixworth unit. The team described itself as the second-fastest and stressed it would prioritize technical development over immediate personnel or strategic changes. The cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races gave teams extra development time, and Ferrari is expected to bring a significant upgrade package by the Miami Grand Prix in May.

The push for upgrades followed a pair of results that underlined Mercedes’ edge: back-to-back one-two finishes in the opening rounds, with George Russell winning the Australian Grand Prix and Kimi Antonelli taking his maiden victory in China, while Ferrari finished third in Australia and fourth in China. Charles Leclerc said he abandoned the chase in China because Mercedes had “blistering pace,” estimating the Mercedes W17 was roughly five-tenths of a second per lap quicker than Ferrari’s SF-26 in race trim, even though Ferrari showed clear cornering speed in Shanghai.

Mercedes lead the constructors’ championship by 31 points — a margin Russell warned could evaporate once upgrades arrive — underscoring why Ferrari has prioritized rapid technical development.

Sources