Ferrari warned 'you can't have everything' as straight-line speed weakness persists

Ferrari has been warned it "can't have everything" as its straight-line speed deficit to Red Bull and Mercedes continues to hold back results. Jamie Chadwick argues the Maranello squad deliberately traded engine power for a superior chassis philosophy, which has delivered strong corner performance but leaves them vulnerable on straights.

Why it matters:

Ferrari's 2026 season has been marked by a paradox: a chassis that looks the best on the grid, yet a power unit that leaves it trailing in top speed. With Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both calling for more engine grunt, the team's philosophical choice is now under scrutiny as the development race intensifies.

The details:

• Ferrari's SF-26 excels in corners and on first laps, thanks to a small turbo layout that helps corner exits and tire management.
• However, it consistently loses time on straights compared to Red Bull and Mercedes, a weakness highlighted at the Canadian Grand Prix.
• Hamilton used the chassis strength to secure his best result for Ferrari — second place in Montreal — but both drivers have stressed the need for more power from the first ADUO upgrade round.
• Chadwick told Sky F1: "They've gone down that route for a reason... their chassis does look good, but it feels like you can't have everything all at once, because if you do, then you're going to be dominating."
• The British driver noted Ferrari benefits from the small turbo in corner exits and fast starts, but the trade-off is evident on long straights.

Between the lines:

Ferrari's philosophy appears to be a deliberate bet on corner speed over outright engine power, a decision that has yielded a strong, drivable car but not a dominant one. With regulation changes on the horizon — particularly around Mercedes' compression ratios and other technical tweaks — the team may need to rebalance its approach to close the gap at the top of the speed traps.

What's next:

The first round of ADUO upgrades could bring the extra horsepower Ferrari craves, but any improvement must not sacrifice the chassis strengths that make the SF-26 competitive. If the team can find a way to add straight-line speed without losing corner prowess, the Scuderia could become a genuine title threat.