Former Method 1 driver Jolyon Palmer has claimed that Ferrari’s aggressive growth curve and energy unit upgrades might see the Maranello outfit subject the quickest automotive on the grid by the tip of the present season.
Following a commanding victory for Lewis Hamilton on the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, his first as a Ferrari driver, the Fred Vasseur-led crew has established itself as a official menace to Mercedes.
Talking on the F1 Nation podcast forward of the Austrian Grand Prix, Palmer praised the developments popping out of the Ferrari camp.
“The innovation on the automotive – you may see it from the beginning of the yr. They have ADUO, so they have some energy unit efficiency to deliver,” Palmer defined.
“So have Mercedes. So we’ll see how that pans out. If they will get that sorted, they might have possibly the very best automotive by the tip of the yr. There’s rather a lot to be optimistic about for Ferrari.”
Whereas it was Mercedes that dominated the early stage of the 2026 season, successful the entire first six grands prix in Australia, China, Japan, Miami, Canada and Monaco, Ferrari has stopped that successful streak with Hamilton’s victory in Barcelona.
Hamilton additionally took second place from George Russell within the drivers’ championship on the Monaco Grand Prix, when the seven-time champion completed second and his former team-mate was knocked out of the factors with a number of penalties.
The Ferrari driver now sits 41 factors behind championship chief Kimi Antonelli and 9 factors forward of Russell in third.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Picture by: Clive Mason / Getty Pictures
There may be nonetheless a protracted approach to go within the season, however Hamilton has not dominated out a championship struggle.
“I feel the chance is there, nevertheless it’s one factor being there and it’s one other factor galvanising the troops and growing,” Hamilton informed the media in Austria. “You possibly can hit plateaus when it comes to growth, so all we are able to do is take it someday at a time, and all we are able to do is admittedly proceed to deliver every part.
“Everybody brings one thing to the crew and everybody again on the manufacturing facility is working so exhausting. They see what’s attainable, and whenever you see what’s attainable, it’s a north star, you already know that’s the route we have to go.
“Whether or not the crew has had that for some time, I’m unsure, however final yr we didn’t actually have a north star, and this yr now we have it. This yr, everyone seems to be doubling down, everyone seems to be placing that further bit of labor in much more than earlier than.
“I feel it’s beginning to present, and the stuff coming this weekend, we do have a brand new engine. It’s a step, not the entire hole, nevertheless it’s a step. It’s one foot ahead, which I’m actually proud and grateful for.
“Nonetheless, Mercedes are the crew to beat, they’ve received every part else and so they’ve been simply unbelievable this yr – an amazing automotive, an incredible crew, a world championship crew. So, now we have an actual battle on our arms, and it’s going to take everybody for the remainder of the yr to even come near competing with them, however I don’t assume it’s unattainable.”
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