Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Lewis Hamilton has warned his former team Mercedes that Ferrari still has the potential to close the gap after an encouraging start to the 2026 season at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne’s Albert Park.
The seven-time world champion started the race from seventh on the grid but produced a strong launch to climb to third place by the end of the opening lap. Hamilton executed decisive overtakes on Isack Hadjar and Arvid Lindblad before settling into a competitive race rhythm during the early stages.
Hamilton appeared to be firmly in podium contention before Ferrari’s strategy during two Virtual Safety Car periods altered the race outcome. While Mercedes double-stacked eventual winner George Russell and runner-up Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Ferrari elected not to pit Hamilton or team-mate Charles Leclerc at those moments.
That decision forced the Ferrari drivers to complete their pit stops under green flag conditions, costing valuable time and dropping Hamilton to fourth place. Although he began closing the gap to Leclerc in the closing stages, the 41-year-old ultimately ran out of laps to attempt a move for what would have been his first Ferrari podium.
“All weekend I’ve been really, really strong,” Hamilton told Sky F1.
“Qualifying didn’t really show the true pace because we had a few issues, which meant I started further back than I should have.”
“Once the race started I felt great from the beginning, and towards the end I was closing the gap to Charles.”
“With one or two more laps, I think I would have had him.”
Despite missing out on the podium, Hamilton took significant encouragement from Ferrari’s overall performance in Melbourne. He believes the Italian team has the potential to reduce the performance gap to Mercedes as the season progresses.
“There are lots of positives to take from this race,” Hamilton said.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do to catch Mercedes, but it’s not impossible.”
“We need to understand whether the gap comes from engine power or battery deployment, because through the corners the car is just as quick.”
The Australian Grand Prix suggested Mercedes may hold a slight advantage over a single lap, particularly in qualifying conditions. However, Ferrari’s race pace at Albert Park appeared comparable, raising the prospect of a competitive title battle between the two teams as the 2026 Formula 1 season continues.
Baca Juga
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