What happened: Ferrari is bracing for its deficit to Mercedes to grow at Silverstone and Spa, with Lewis Hamilton cautioning that the gap could be as much as twice as large at those circuits. His win in Barcelona had raised hopes that Ferrari could push into this year's title fight, but Hamilton insists there is still a long way to go.
Why it matters: Hamilton points to the "phenomenal" form of his former team Mercedes and to Ferrari's shortfall in outright engine performance as the reasons for caution. Layouts that reward power favor Mercedes, so tracks like Silverstone and Spa become a truer measure of where Ferrari really stands in the championship picture.
What to watch: Silverstone and the following round at Spa will show whether Ferrari can stay in contention or whether the engine deficit reopens a decisive gap to Mercedes.
Sources
- @autosport