Lewis Hamilton finishes fourth in the Australian Grand Prix and is optimistic despite the gap to Mercedes, praising the performance of his Ferrari and the atmosphere on track.
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For Lewis Hamilton, this Australian Grand Prix was a real breath of fresh air after a difficult 2025 season. The Briton crossed the finish line in fourth position, just behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, and says he is satisfied with the overall performance of the Scuderia against the Mercedes that dominated the race.
“I feel good! I would have liked to continue and have five more laps to go for the podium. There is a lot of positive to take from this day, the car is behaving well, and it was a really fun race” Hamilton said after the finish.
The Ferrari driver also highlighted that he had managed to reduce the gap to Leclerc to only six tenths at the end of the race, proof of his solid pace and effective race management.
A pleasant race despite difficult qualifying
Hamilton insists that qualifying did not reflect his true potential. According to him, problems encountered during these sessions relegated him further down the grid than he would have liked.
“Today, none of us really knew what our real pace would be, but I felt very good from the start. It was a really pleasant race and I felt comfortable in the car. A few more laps and I would have overtaken Charles” explains the seven-time world champion.
This race therefore allowed Hamilton to regain confidence in his driving and to see that the SF-26 offers encouraging potential in race conditions, even against faster Mercedes.
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Areas for improvement identified
While Hamilton is satisfied, he also knows that Ferrari must progress, particularly on engine power and battery efficiency. He insists, however, on the work already accomplished by the team:
“I think we have work to do to improve the power compared to other teams, or maybe more power on the battery. But we have maximized our result, I felt very good in the car and I am looking forward to the upcoming races.”
He concludes by praising the team’s commitment: “I am really very proud of the team. They have done an incredible job to bring the car to this level. Of course, we are not yet as fast as Mercedes, but we are in the race.”
A positive message for the future
Between encouragement and pragmatism, Hamilton sends a clear message: Ferrari is progressing and its SF-26 allows for fighting for good results, even if the battle for the podium remains tight against Mercedes. For the British driver, this first race is a good indicator and a driver for the next rounds of the 2026 championship.
The tone is set: with a reassuring pace and solid driving, Hamilton seems ready to enjoy this new season by adopting a positive attitude, despite the gaps still present with the front of the pack.
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