Lewis Hamilton confident after strong start: “Two more laps and I would’ve passed Leclerc”. Lewis Hamilton reflects on a positive start to the 2026 F1 season.

Sir Lewis’ first reaction after a largely positive weekend that could banish the ghosts of 2025

Lewis Hamilton’s Australian Grand Prix

Far from being the kind of Formula 1 race that would favor rookies over experienced drivers, Lewis Hamilton delivered a solid performance during a weekend in which he consistently matched the pace of teammate Charles Leclerc. The British driver finished the first Grand Prix of the new technical era in fourth place, crossing the line just over half a second behind his Ferrari teammate.

It was a very encouraging start for the 41-year-old Briton. In a Formula 1 environment where race management appears to be becoming increasingly important again, Hamilton once more showcased the race-reading skills that have long been one of his greatest strengths.

Sir Lewis’ immediate reaction

Even though the podium continues to elude him – it has now been 25 races without champagne celebrations since his move to Maranello – Hamilton could still smile after a weekend that might finally help leave behind the difficult memories of the 2025 season.

“This weekend we were very strong in terms of race pace,” Lewis Hamilton explained in the media pen after the checkered flag at the Australian Grand Prix, speaking to Mara Sangiorgio for Sky Sport F1. “Unfortunately in qualifying we weren’t able to show our true pace. We had a few problems during the session, and that forced us to start much further back than we would have liked.”

Starting seventh on the grid – which became sixth after the retirement of Oscar Piastri’s McLaren – Hamilton eventually climbed to fourth place by the finish. The performance itself was satisfying, even if there was still some disappointment about the final result.

“What we achieved today isn’t exactly what we wanted, but I felt great from the start and towards the end I was catching Charles,” Hamilton said. “I just needed a couple more laps to manage to pass him, so there are a lot of positives to take from this weekend.”

At the same time, the seven-time world champion acknowledged that Ferrari still has work to do if it wants to challenge Mercedes at the front.

“We still have a lot of work to do to catch Mercedes,” he added, “but it’s not impossible, so I have to thank the people working at the factory.”

“We’re proud of them, but we have to keep pushing and keep our heads down for the next race,” Lewis Hamilton concluded after the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton’s upbeat assessment of the Melbourne opener highlights a driver who has quickly found his rhythm within the 2026 regulations, emphasizing that Ferrari’s race pace is much closer to Mercedes than the qualifying times suggested. By claiming he was only “two laps” away from overtaking his Maranello teammate, the Briton has set a competitive internal benchmark, signaling that the intra-team battle at Ferrari will be fought on the thinnest of margins as the Scuderia hunts down the Silver Arrows.