The Englishman views the Melbourne weekend as a half-full glass, identifying many positives to take away. Of course, the current level is not that of Mercedes, but for Lewis Hamilton, catching the W17 is not impossible if a solid development plan is executed. For now, however, he enjoys a strong pace and a solid personal performance in the race.
Half-full or half-empty? Hamilton sees the positives in Melbourne
Is Ferrari’s glass half-full or half-empty in Melbourne? This question perfectly sums up the Australian weekend for the Prancing Horse, where Lewis Hamilton found several reasons to be satisfied after today’s race. Mercedes, however, as admitted by Team Principal Frederic Vasseur, still holds a significant advantage, especially in qualifying.
The key point is that in the race, Ferrari closed in. While it is true that in clean air the W17 seems to still have a slight edge in pace, there are plenty of reasons to leave Australia smiling. This is Hamilton’s reading of the situation, who after the race preferred to focus not on negatives but on positives—the elements representing the foundation to build on for the season.
No mixed feelings, not even on strategy. Lewis Hamilton himself had suggested splitting tactics by pitting at least one of the two Ferrari drivers, but Maranello chose to leave both on track. Ferrari expected more graining and higher degradation, while Mercedes managed the tires excellently, consolidating their advantage.
For this reason, the seven-time world champion has no complaints about strategy. Lewis Hamilton looks at the bigger picture, noting that today he achieved the best possible result, behind two W17s that, although closer—especially in the early stages when there was the opportunity to fight wheel-to-wheel—did not pull away immediately.
“I think in the end the Mercedes cars were faster than us, and probably those were the positions or results we could achieve today. We’ll definitely see if pitting would have been better,” the British driver explained after the race, highlighting that the best possible performance result was achieved.
“When I saw both Mercedes cars come into the pits, one ahead of me and one behind me, I thought we should have pitted, or at least one of us should have done it to cover ourselves. But we’ll analyze everything and see what we could have done better.”
Looking at the overall picture, the standings show a clear fact: Ferrari was the only team able to keep the gap to Mercedes within twenty seconds. McLaren, despite using the same power unit, finished with an extra pit stop and a deficit of around fifty seconds. While Ferrari closed the gap compared to qualifying, the others remained largely stationary.
Undoubtedly, some compromises the SF-26 had to make in qualifying worked in Ferrari’s favor today. Not to mention that during the race it was possible to recover more energy than on Saturday. But the truly relevant aspect, even while recognizing the margin that still separates them from Mercedes, is this: Ferrari showed concrete signs of growth precisely in the conditions where it had struggled most so far.
“No mixed feelings, I feel great. It was truly a fantastic race. From seventh to fourth. I think the team did an excellent job overall, and our car was very competitive. Obviously, we’re not yet where we want to be in terms of pace compared to Mercedes, but I think there are so many positives to take home today,” Lewis Hamilton said.
The half-full aspects are, in a sense, double. On one hand, there’s Ferrari’s pace; on the other, Lewis Hamilton’s personal performance, with a convincing race. In the final stages, the British driver closed to within a few tenths of teammate Charles Leclerc, confirming a very competitive rhythm thanks also to highly effective tire management.
“Today wasn’t exactly what we wanted, but I think it went well. Towards the end, I was also catching Charles; it would have taken just a couple of laps to overtake him. So there are plenty of positives to note. We have a lot of work to do to catch Mercedes, but it’s not impossible.”
Closing the gap, especially on the power unit side where development times are longer, will not be easy. On the aerodynamic front, however, important upgrades are on the way. This is precisely where Hamilton wanted to focus, reminding that this championship will be decided over the long haul, based on development quality and the ability to introduce effective updates during the season.
“We just need to keep pushing and bring updates, continue developing, and I know the team is working hard to ensure we can be competitive. We need to analyze and understand where we are losing time. It seems we lose on the straights because I think in the corners we are as fast as them. So the car is good.”
“We just need to figure it out… they have something extra in terms of top speed, and that’s something we need to work on. But I have no doubt we will manage it.”
Although not contesting the lead in the early laps, Hamilton was able to follow closely the duel between Russell and Leclerc, characterized by constant position changes depending on energy management and available electric motor power. These aspects, which for other drivers made the race disappointing, made it enjoyable and interesting for Hamilton from the cockpit.
“Personally, I loved it. I thought the race was really fun to drive. And the car was really, really fun to drive. I was watching the cars ahead, there were great duels back and forth. So far, so good,” Lewis added.
Lewis Hamilton’s optimism following the Australian Grand Prix provides a refreshing narrative for the Tifosi, suggesting that the SF-26 is a much more capable race machine than its qualifying deficit implies. By identifying the car’s cornering speeds as equal to the dominant Mercedes, the Briton has set a clear technical target for Maranello: unlock the top speed, and the battle for the 2026 title is well and truly on.
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