Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc Had One Ferrari F1 Advantage Nobody Could Stop, Then Everything Changed

For the first few races of the 2026 Formula 1 season, Ferrari had one weapon nobody else could match.

Whenever the lights went out, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton seemed to gain places almost automatically.

The Scuderia's lightning-fast starts became one of the defining stories of the opening rounds, helping both drivers regularly jump rivals before Turn 1. But a few months later, that advantage appears to have largely disappeared.

So what changed?

Why were Ferrari F1 starts so good?

The secret lay in Ferrari's power unit design.

Unlike some of its rivals, Ferrari opted for a smaller turbocharger configuration, which allowed the engine to spool up more quickly when drivers launched off the grid. The result was more immediate power delivery and cleaner getaways when the lights went out.

While rivals often struggled with wheelspin, clutch bite points or delayed power delivery, Ferrari's package gave Leclerc and Hamilton a significant edge in the opening metres of a race.

The advantage was obvious from the very first round in Australia.

Leclerc jumped from fourth to first by Turn 1, while Hamilton climbed from seventh to third. Similar gains followed in China, Japan and Miami as Ferrari repeatedly turned average qualifying positions into strong opening laps.

The FIA intervention that sparked controversy

Ferrari's early dominance did not go unnoticed.

Several teams struggled to launch consistently, leading to concerns about stalled cars and safety risks on the grid. The FIA responded by introducing procedural tweaks before the start sequence, extending the preparation period before the lights went out.

The changes were designed to help teams better manage their launch procedures and reduce the risk of botched starts.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur was far from impressed.

He argued that rival teams had effectively lobbied for a change that reduced Ferrari's competitive advantage.

"To have half of the grid, 40% of the grid, complaining that it's mega dangerous and so on, politically it was well played but not very fair," Vasseur said.

While Ferrari retained some of its launch advantage after the changes, the gap between them and the rest of the field began to shrink.

The numbers show Ferrari F1 edge is fading

The trend becomes clear when looking at how many positions Ferrari gained at the start of races throughout the season.

In Australia, Leclerc and Hamilton gained a combined seven positions before Turn 1.

By China and Japan, that figure had dropped to three or four.

In Miami, Ferrari managed just two positions in both the Sprint and Grand Prix.

By the time Formula 1 arrived in Canada, the Scuderia was no longer making the dramatic early gains that had defined its season. For the first time in 2026, neither Ferrari driver entered Turn 1 inside the top three.

The numbers suggest Ferrari's advantage hasn't disappeared completely, but it is no longer decisive.

Ferrari didn't get slower, everyone else got better

The key point is that Ferrari's starts have not necessarily worsened.

Instead, rival teams have caught up.

McLaren has quietly emerged as one of the strongest teams off the line. Oscar Piastri even suggested in Montreal that McLaren had been confident in its starts throughout the year.

"Our starts have been better than Ferrari's all year," Piastri said.

Red Bull also endured several launch issues early in the season but has gradually ironed them out. Max Verstappen, who lost ground at several starts earlier in the year, has looked significantly more comfortable in recent races.

The biggest improvement, however, may have come from Mercedes.

How Mercedes solved its start problems

Mercedes spent much of the early season struggling with launch consistency.

Despite regularly qualifying at the front, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli often lost positions when the lights went out. Those struggles indirectly helped Ferrari gain places.

That has changed dramatically.

The team focused on two major areas.

First, Mercedes refined its software systems to better predict grip levels at the start, helping drivers manage launches more effectively under varying track conditions.

Second, the team worked extensively with Antonelli on clutch feel and release consistency.

Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Mercedes even modified the design of Antonelli's clutch paddle, altering the finger-hole shape to improve feedback and help him make more consistent launches.

"It's just a different shape, just to help me be a bit more consistent with the drops," Antonelli explained.

The results were immediate. Both Mercedes drivers enjoyed some of their strongest starts of the season in Montreal, showing just how much progress the team has made.

Why this matters for the championship fight

Ferrari's exceptional starts were never just a statistical curiosity.

In a Formula 1 season where overtaking remains difficult and track position is crucial, gaining one or two places before Turn 1 can completely change a race.

Earlier in the year, Ferrari could rely on that advantage to offset qualifying deficits and put its drivers in stronger strategic positions.

Now, with McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull all improving their launch procedures, that safety net is disappearing.

Heading into the next phase of the championship, Ferrari can no longer count on winning races before the first corner.

And in a title fight where margins continue to shrink, losing even a small advantage could make a significant difference.