Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has confirmed the Scuderia’s power unit continues to exhibit a deficit in pure power compared to Mercedes, despite the introduction of a second engine upgrade at the recent Italian Grand Prix. The high-speed Monza circuit, which hosted the race on September 7, 2026, highlighted Ferrari’s ongoing struggle with straight-line speed.
The Italian Grand Prix qualifying session on September 5 saw Pierre Gasly secure a surprise pole position for Alpine, powered by a Mercedes engine. Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth and fifth respectively, occupying the second row of the grid. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, who qualified seventh, received a grid penalty for taking a new power unit, forcing him to start from the back of the grid.
Vasseur clarified that the team’s performance issue is not rooted in energy deployment strategies but rather a fundamental lack of raw engine power. He stated that attempting to compensate for a power shortfall by adjusting energy deployment across different sections of a lap ultimately leads to a detrimental performance spiral.
Ferrari introduced its second permitted engine upgrade of the 2026 season at Monza, under the FIA’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) regulations. The first ADUO upgrade was implemented at the Austrian Grand Prix earlier in the season.
The ADUO system allows manufacturers whose Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) performance is significantly behind the benchmark to introduce development updates. Ferrari was granted two such opportunities in 2026 because its ICE was deemed more than four percent behind the leading unit.
Vasseur acknowledged that Ferrari did not anticipate these ADUO upgrades would entirely eliminate the performance gap to Mercedes during the current season. He described the gains as incremental, emphasizing that even small improvements in horsepower contribute positively to grid position.
The Ferrari team principal explained that the impact of a power deficit is magnified at circuits like Monza, which feature long straights. He noted that a performance gap that might equate to two or three tenths of a second at a track such as Zandvoort could be twice as large at Monza.
Mercedes, whose power unit is widely considered a benchmark, is also entitled to one ADUO upgrade in 2026 and another in 2027, as their ICE was assessed to be more than two percent behind Red Bull’s engine. Red Bull’s power unit is currently regarded as the strongest on the grid and is not eligible for ADUO upgrades.
Vasseur indicated that Ferrari’s primary opportunity for a substantial reduction in the engine deficit will come with the introduction of a completely new power unit for the 2027 season. He also admitted that Ferrari’s 2026 engine development program commenced later than planned.
The Italian Grand Prix proved challenging for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc retiring after a first-lap incident. Lewis Hamilton finished the race in sixth position.
