F1 MATHS: How does the telemetry from the Shanghai qualifying confirm Ferrari's superior chassis performance?

The Q3 showdown in Shanghai offered a another glimpse into the differences between Ferrari's and Mercedes' 2026 F1 car. F1Technical's senior writer Balazs Szabo delivers his latest analysis.

Kimi Antonelli’s pole‑setting 1:32.064 was the benchmark of the session, but Lewis Hamilton’s 1:32.415 — just over three tenths slower — told its own story. The telemetry comparison between the two laps reveals where each driver excelled, where time was lost, and how their cars behaved across the varied demands of the Shanghai International Circuit.

Antonelli’s lap stands out for its consistency and confidence, especially in the full-throttle and power‑sensitive sections. His throttle‑on percentage — 55.4% of the lap at full throttle — is the highest of the two, showing how effective Mercedes' power unit continues to be.

His top speed of 332 km/h also gave him a slight edge on the long back straight, helping him carry momentum into the heavy braking zone of Turn 14.

The telemetry shows that Antonelli was particularly strong in the final sector, where his ability to stay flat longer and brake later translated into a decisive advantage. His speed trace is smoother, with fewer dips, indicating a much better energy management and deployment from Mercedes.

Hamilton’s Ferrari told a different story. While his top speed was slightly lower at 329 km/h, his lap featured a higher proportion of cornering time — 26.6%, compared to Antonelli’s 22.1%.

This reflects both the Ferrari’s setup and Hamilton’s driving style: more rotation, more mid‑corner commitment, and more time spent managing the car through Shanghai’s long, sweeping bends.

In the low‑speed sections, Hamilton’s telemetry shows sharper speed drops followed by strong traction phases. He was able to match Antonelli through several technical corners, but the Ferrari’s braking profile — only 18.7% of the lap spent on the brakes — suggests he wasn’t able to attack the braking zones as aggressively as the Mercedes.

The biggest difference appears in the power‑limited sections, where Antonelli’s higher minimum speeds and better acceleration allowed him to build time steadily.

The delta trace between the two laps paints a clear picture:

Antonelli gains early on the main straight and into Turn 1, but Hamilton is much quicker through the long-radius Turn 2 and 3. The Mercedes driver is quicker once again down the full-throttle section between Turn 4 and 6 before the seven-time world champion delivers a superior performance around the low-speed hairpin of Turn 6.

Hamilton briefly claws back time thanks to Ferrari’s strong mid‑corner performance through Turns 7, 8 and 9, highlighting his SF-26' great chassis.

Coming to the never-ending back straight, Antonelli’s top‑speed advantage and earlier throttle application open the gap decisively compared to Hamilton. However, the Briton is once again very impressive around the final slow-speed hairpin and the last medium-speed corner.