Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari are “right in the fight” with Mercedes after an encouraging start to F1’s new era at the Australian Grand Prix. After a disappointing 2025 that left them down the order, Ferrari re-emerged as Mercedes’ chief rival in Sunday’s season opener, finishing third and fourth. Charles Leclerc made a strong start, leapfrogging George Russell and trading brisk wheel-to-wheel action with the eventual winner in the opening laps, while Hamilton shadowed his team-mate closely.
Ferrari’s race might have been stronger had the team pitted during an early Virtual Safety Car, but principal Frederic Vasseur insisted there were “no regrets” over the strategy and that the SF-26’s pace was a positive sign. Mercedes still showed an advantage, particularly over a single lap in qualifying, yet Hamilton believes Ferrari have plenty to build on.
“I’m generally really proud of the team,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1. “They have done an amazing job to get the car to where it is. Of course, we are not as fast at Mercedes and we have work to do but we are right in the fight. It was a really fun race and it felt good for me. A couple more laps and I would have had Charles, so I had great pace. Lots of positives to take from today.”
Hamilton’s Saturday was disrupted by battery deployment problems in Q2, which left him down the order for qualifying, but he climbed through the field on race day as Ferrari’s strong starts pushed their drivers into contention. Recovering to fourth, the seven-time champion said qualifying “didn’t show the true pace” and praised his team for a solid race execution despite the earlier issues.
He added that while Mercedes must close the gap, it isn’t impossible. The cars appear evenly matched through the corners, Hamilton said, but the deficit on a single lap — likely tied to power or battery deployment — is significant and will require focused development.
Mercedes underlined their pre-season favourite status by taking the top two spots in both qualifying and the race at Albert Park, but team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged the challenge posed by Ferrari. He praised the opening exchanges and said the weekend proved Mercedes will have to contend with a genuine fight from their rival.
Wolff welcomed the competitiveness, noting that the new boost and overtake systems produced engaging racing on a track that demands careful energy management. He added that, above all, there was satisfaction in seeing Mercedes return to form while recognizing the season will be contested at the front.
Formula 1 now heads to Shanghai for the season’s first Sprint weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix from Friday, with live coverage on Sky Sports F1.