Red Mist: The Austrian Grand Prix is vital for Ferrari's 2026 Formula 1 campaign

Lewis Hamilton’s breakthrough Barcelona win doesn’t just make this weekend pivotal from a Ferrari versus Mercedes point of view. It is also Maranello’s first outing with its new ADOU assisted engine.

Faster and with its own specific dynamic, Spielberg is a somewhat different prospect to Catalunya. So Austria should tell if Ferrari’s Spanish step was an across-the-board improvement or just a specific circuit thing.

With a few more prancing horses behind them, Hamiton and Leclerc may well be another step ahead anyway at Red Bull Ring. Enough to suggest that Mercedes could thrust team orders down on tussling Antonelli and Russell as it fears a new Red Dawn.

Some say that Ferrari’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities bonuses could be good for up to ten horses, thanks to both engine tweaks and a new Shell e-fuel. The new petrol is said to be specifically tailored to Ferrari’s ADUO 1 067/6 engine.

It is engineered to run hotter and deliver a cleaner and more complete burn. Which will in turn squeeze maximum thermal efficiency out of the unit’s unique steel-alloy cylinder head and aluminium engine block.

Ferrari has already confirmed that it will use its second ADUO bonus to switch to a bigger turbocharger later in the season. That after F1’s switch to a 5-second pre-start procedure eliminated the red team’s early-season quick-spooling small turbo race start advantage.

While team boss Vasseur’s expression gives the game away, it is clear Ferrari is doing its best to keep mum on its clearly improved prospects: “This is a Ferrari team looking to steal more victories from the mighty Mercedes,” Fred grinned. "We plan an extremely aggressive Sunday... this time hopefully with both drivers in the mix…”

Lewis Hamiton remains cautious about the Spielberg circuit’s long straights. "We know we have a power deficit, so tracks like this make it even harder,” Lewis warns. “But we have a great car at the core, and if we keep going through the corners quicker, maybe we can narrow that deficit down until we can improve the power.”

And Charles Leclerc is looking forward to putting the past two forgettable grands prix behind him. “I had a better feeling in the car last weekend. That wasn’t translated into the final result, but I’ll keep pushing,” Charles promises. “I’m happy for Lewis and the team; a first win in red is always one to remember. Now we look forward to Austria together.”