It looks like Ferrari are building on the great momentum they have had over the past few months. At the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season, they presented themselves as one of the fastest teams on the grid. However, recent seasons have eroded fans' faith in the team’s potential for consistency over the course of a full season.
But Ferrari have built on their upgrades nicely since the start of the season and are about to show a prominent one this weekend in Spielberg. Because the Scuderia fall within the two-to-four percent deficit range, based on engine performance, they qualify for one upgrade under the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities program.
The belief is that Ferrari have brought an upgraded engine that will make them faster than Mercedes for the time being. The Red Bull Ring is also a track were Mercedes tends to struggle, so a Ferrari 1-2 is not out of the question in the Austrian Grand Prix.
This weekend’s result should not make Mercedes panic
Ferrari’s best-case scenario for this weekend could make the gap between themselves and Mercedes look larger than it actually is. Toto Wolff is likely aware of that and will not overreact during the upcoming European swing.
One key aspect to note is that Mercedes are on a different upgrade schedule compared to Ferrari. The Silver Arrows typically tend to bring their larger upgrade packages after Ferrari debut theirs, as seen in Miami and Montreal.
Mercedes will likely wait until the British Grand Prix next weekend to properly assess where they stand relative to the Italian team. With only two race weekends after that until the summer break, the Silver Arrows might not implement a large package until as late as September.
Fortunately, Mercedes and Kimi Antonelli still have comfortable leads in both world championships through seven of 22 races this season, giving them a buffer over the final few race weekends until the summer break and giving them no imminent reason to hit the panic button.
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