Lewis Hamilton admits to having remained in uncertainty after the 2026 winter testing in Bahrain, to the point of calling Toto Wolff and Zak Brown to try to see more clearly.
At the end of the two pre-season testing sessions held in Sakhir, Lewis Hamilton did not leave Bahrain with a clear hierarchy in mind. According to him, the six cumulative days provided very little insight into the true performance level of the teams before the opening of the 2026 season.
In this context, the Ferrari driver picked up his phone to contact his former boss at Mercedes, Toto Wolff, as well as the CEO of McLaren, Zak Brown.
“The tests revealed little. Everything was hiding behind their fuel loads. I called Toto Wolff at Mercedes and Zak Brown at McLaren to try to understand what they had understood, but I got no results.”
As is often the case during winter testing, the unknowns related to fuel loads, engine maps and specific programs make any reading of the lap times delicate. The hierarchy remains blurred as the Australian Grand Prix approaches.
Mercedes still perceived as the benchmark
Even before the cars took to the track, Mercedes was widely considered the best-equipped team to tackle the new 2026 regulatory era. An impression that has not totally disappeared in the paddock after Bahrain, where many believe that the Brackley car appears to be the most complete.
Some observers have however put forward the hypothesis that Mercedes might not have revealed all its potential during the tests. Furthermore, the team encountered some reliability issues during the second session in Bahrain.
For its part, McLaren expects a performance gain in Australia, as the team should have the final homologated Mercedes power unit, while an older version had been used during the tests. Only the Mercedes drivers ran with what should be the final specification, notably to validate its reliability.
Hamilton remains confident
Despite this uncertainty, Hamilton shows intact determination regarding the ambitions of Ferrari for 2026.
“However, I have a certainty. After what we went through last year, we can handle any situation. This team has everything it takes to win. We must finish the work together with the fans. Easier said than done, but I came to Ferrari because I believed in it, and I still do.”
A few days before the first Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion thus recognizes navigating in the fog like his rivals. But internally, the conviction remains : whatever the true balance of power, Ferrari believes it has the resources to fight for victory.