Hamilton questions Mercedes power unit verdict after Austrian GP straight-line deficit

Lewis Hamilton has questioned how Mercedes’ power unit could be judged behind a rival manufacturer after describing its performance at the Austrian Grand Prix as the strongest in Formula 1.

Hamilton points to Mercedes’ end-of-straight strength

Ferrari introduced an upgraded power unit in Austria, but Hamilton indicated that the update had not immediately addressed the SF-26’s weakness at the top end of the straights. The comparison with Mercedes was particularly stark from his cockpit.

That observation aligns with Ferrari’s broader Austrian GP difficulties, where straight-line speed was again central to the post-race discussion. For more on the Scuderia’s Red Bull Ring limitations, read our analysis of Ferrari’s Austrian GP problems with straight-line speed and overheating.

Hamilton was direct in his assessment of the competitive picture.

“Mercedes for sure has the best power unit, and I don’t know how the ADUO came out the other way around,” he said.

ADUO verdict leaves questions

Despite Mercedes HPP-powered cars winning seven of the eight grands prix and all three Sprints so far, the Mercedes power unit is believed to have been granted ADUO status by the FIA. That status followed an evaluation in which Red Bull Powertrains was judged to have the strongest engine.

ADUO is based on the evaluation of the Internal Combustion Engine only, and the FIA has not yet officially communicated the full results of the process.

For Hamilton, the on-track evidence in Austria appeared difficult to reconcile with that assessment. He highlighted Mercedes’ ability to continue accelerating at the end of the straights as a decisive differentiator.

“They’ve got serious power at the end of the straights, far more than anybody else [in Austria], so I don’t know where that’s coming from,” Hamilton added. “Is it coming from the battery, or ICE or the smaller turbo?”

The key point is not simply that Ferrari lacked enough performance in Austria, but that Hamilton believes the Mercedes package displayed an advantage where the lap is often won or lost: the final phase of acceleration. Until the FIA’s ADUO findings are formally detailed, that contrast between regulatory assessment and race-track evidence will remain a significant talking point.