Former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer has claimed that Ferrari's aggressive development curve and power unit upgrades could see the Maranello outfit field the fastest car on the grid by the end of the current season.
Following a commanding victory for Lewis Hamilton at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, his first as a Ferrari driver, the Fred Vasseur-led team has established itself as a legitimate threat to Mercedes.
Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, Palmer praised the developments coming out of the Ferrari camp.
"The innovation on the car - you can see it from the start of the year. They've got ADUO, so they've got some power unit performance to bring," Palmer explained.
"So have Mercedes. So we'll see how that pans out. If they can get that sorted, they could have maybe the best car by the end of the year. There's a lot to be positive about for Ferrari."
While it was Mercedes that dominated the early stage of the 2026 season, winning all of the first six grands prix in Australia, China, Japan, Miami, Canada and Monaco, Ferrari has stopped that winning streak with Hamilton's victory in Barcelona.
Hamilton also took second place from George Russell in the drivers' championship at the Monaco Grand Prix, when the seven-time champion finished second and his former team-mate was knocked out of the points with multiple penalties.
The Ferrari driver now sits 41 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli and nine points ahead of Russell in third.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Clive Mason / Getty Images
There is still a long way to go in the season, but Hamilton has not ruled out a championship fight.
"I think the opportunity is there, but it’s one thing being there and it’s another thing galvanising the troops and developing," Hamilton told the media in Austria. "You can hit plateaus in terms of development, so all we can do is take it one day at a time, and all we can do is really continue to bring everything.
"Everyone brings something to the team and everyone back at the factory is working so hard. They see what’s possible, and when you see what’s possible, it’s a north star, you know that’s the direction we need to go.
"Whether the team has had that for a while, I’m not sure, but last year we didn’t really have a north star, and this year we have it. This year, everyone is doubling down, everyone is putting that extra bit of work in even more than before.
"I think it’s starting to show, and the stuff coming this weekend, we do have a new engine. It’s a step, not the whole gap, but it’s a step. It’s one foot forward, which I’m really proud and thankful for.
"Still, Mercedes are the team to beat, they’ve won everything else and they’ve been just incredible this year – a great car, an amazing team, a world championship team. So, we have a real battle on our hands, and it’s going to take everyone for the rest of the year to even come close to competing with them, but I don’t think it’s impossible."
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