Ferrari closes engine gap but Mercedes still faster

Ferrari’s ADUO power unit upgrade appears to have moved the team closer to Mercedes at Monza, although both Fred Vasseur and Lewis Hamilton insist the German engine still holds an advantage.

Ferrari opened the weekend with a 1-2 in first practice before George Russell went fastest in FP2 - with Kimi Antonelli saying the difference between the two manufacturers has narrowed sharply.

"Ferrari has definitely taken a step forward with the new engine," said the championship leader.

"They are now on par in terms of speed, and we know how good they are in the corners. I therefore expect a close fight for pole."

Vasseur was more cautious, insisting Ferrari has not erased Mercedes’ underlying advantage.

"We didn’t compensate at all the delta with the Mercedes engine," said the Frenchman.

"We’re still a long way on the engine side. But a small step is a small step, and it’s important when you see the fight on track and how tight it is on the grid."

Hamilton agreed after Friday practice, particularly pointing to straight-line performance.

"The Mercedes is very quick on the straights as always, so we have some work to do overnight," said the Briton.

"Our biggest issue is straight-line speed. Compared to Russell, I lost about six tenths of a second on the straights alone."

Hamilton nevertheless praised one aspect of Ferrari’s upgrade.

"The drivability of the new power unit is really good in the slower sections. But that’s not a big issue here because we only have a few slower corners.

"The team did a great job there, though."

With qualifying expected to be extremely tight, Vasseur said slipstreaming could make the difference.

"For qualifying, I think Russell and Verstappen will have a tow from their respective teammates," he said.

"The tow is worth a good four tenths. It will be difficult for us to fight with Russell and Verstappen if we add that four tenths of tow."