Norris: Ferrari Would 'Embarrass' F1 With Stronger Engine

Lando Norris warns Ferrari would "embarrass" Formula 1 if it fixed its engine deficit, after Lewis Hamilton's Barcelona win showcased the Scuderia's heavily-upgraded chassis. Hamilton ended Mercedes' six-race winning streak and prompted McLaren to label the Ferrari as the best-handling car, despite the Maranello squad remaining over 4% adrift on power unit performance.

Why it matters:

Ferrari's package reveals a striking imbalance: unmatched cornering speed paired with a significant engine shortfall. With two upgrade tokens allocated due to its power unit deficit, the team holds a potential gamechanger that could flip the championship fight and leave rivals scrambling.

The details:

• Mercedes swept the opening six races through Russell and Antonelli, but Hamilton's Ferrari triumph in Barcelona tightened the title picture.
• McLaren now identifies Ferrari as possessing F1's strongest chassis, with Norris admitting his team is "not even close" in cornering performance.
• ADUO data lists Red Bull as the surprising engine benchmark, with Mercedes 2-4% behind and Ferrari trailing by over 4% — a gap that earned Maranello two development tokens.
• Norris finished third only after Leclerc crashed in Q3 and Antonelli retired late, masking the true pace of the upgraded Ferrari.
• Piastri echoed those concerns after finishing fifth, 59 seconds adrift, noting Ferrari's high-downforce concept excels at protecting fragile tires in low-grip conditions.

What's next:

Ferrari's tokens provide a direct path to erase its biggest weakness. If the Scuderia bridges the power gap while keeping its chassis edge, Mercedes and McLaren could soon find themselves battling for scraps rather than titles.