Hamilton fears Ferrari's power deficit could make British Grand Prix an uphill battle

Lewis Hamilton has admitted Ferrari faces a difficult challenge at this weekend's British Grand Prix, with the seven-time World Champion warning that the Scuderia's straight-line speed deficit remains a significant weakness despite claiming his maiden victory for the team just two races ago.

Hamilton secured an emotional first Ferrari triumph at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, raising hopes that the Italian outfit had taken a decisive step towards the front of the field.

However, those expectations were tempered at the Austrian Grand Prix, where Mercedes proved to be comfortably quicker over race distance, prompting Hamilton to describe the weekend as a "reality check" for Ferrari.

The Briton believes the SF-26 remains a competitive car, but insists Ferrari is still lacking outright pace compared to Mercedes, particularly because of a power unit deficit.

"I think it's more of a reality check. I think we don't know why we were so competitive on Sunday in Barcelona."

Hamilton admitted the performance seen in Austria was a more accurate reflection of Ferrari's current position in the competitive order.

"But in Austria, I think we were hit more with reality, which is that, we still do have a good car, but we are down compared to Mercedes, just on outright pace."

While Mercedes' recent form has raised the benchmark, Hamilton stressed Ferrari cannot afford to become discouraged and instead must continue developing every aspect of the package.

"They just are quicker, and we still have to keep developing. It doesn't mean we can't close that gap. It's just that one win doesn't mean we're going to be beating them all the time."

The 40-year-old identified power as the biggest area requiring improvement, insisting Ferrari must continue pushing to unlock more performance from its package.

"I think it's the opposite. We've got a lot of work to do to try it. We still have to continue to add performance to the car, particularly power, which is where we're going to have to keep working and pushing."

Those concerns could become even more significant at Silverstone. The Northamptonshire circuit features several long straights where engine performance and energy deployment play a crucial role, and Hamilton fears Ferrari's current weakness could once again leave the team at a disadvantage.

"It won't be easy, there are long straights. But it's a track where I usually do well, so... Fingers crossed, but the problem is at the end of the straight. Deployment is the area where we are losing compared to the others and I expect it will be difficult."

Despite his concerns, Hamilton is hoping Britain's famously unpredictable weather might offer Ferrari an opportunity to spring a surprise in front of his home fans.

"I hope it will rain. I know it's summer, but you never know what might happen. It could even snow in England!"