Hamilton's Ferrari Assessment: "Lots of Positives" After Near-Podium in Australia

Lewis Hamilton left Melbourne with reasons for both optimism and frustration. Fourth place — just 0.625 seconds behind team-mate Charles Leclerc — was the closest he came to a podium on his Ferrari debut weekend. His assessment of the SF-26 heading into Shanghai carries particular weight given the experience of his 20th F1 season.

The Melbourne Verdict

Hamilton was direct in his post-race assessment. "It was a really fun race and it felt good for me," he told media after the Australian Grand Prix. "A couple more laps and I would have had Charles, so I had great pace. Lots of positives to take from today." He acknowledged the gap to Mercedes: "We are not as fast as Mercedes and we have work to do but we are right in the fight."

The Strategy That Cost Ferrari

Ferrari's biggest Melbourne lesson was strategic rather than pace-related. Both Leclerc and Hamilton were competitive in the opening laps — Leclerc led the race and traded positions with Russell six times in the first nine laps. The pivotal moment came under the Virtual Safety Car when Mercedes pitted both cars and Ferrari stayed out. That decision, per Formula1.com race analysis, ultimately cost Ferrari any chance of victory.

Shanghai Opportunity

The Chinese Grand Prix offers Ferrari a chance to correct course. Shanghai's circuit characteristics — high-speed sustained corners, heavy braking and significant tyre degradation — test different aspects of the car compared to Melbourne's flowing, lower-grip layout. Ferrari's strong pre-season testing pace in high-fuel conditions suggests the SF-26 may be better suited to Shanghai's demands.

Ferrari also demonstrated a clear advantage in race starts during Melbourne, with their power unit's turbo spooling seemingly ahead of Mercedes' solution. At a sprint weekend with two standing starts, that advantage could prove decisive — particularly if it can offset Mercedes' single-lap qualifying pace.