Lewis Hamilton has highlighted the need for Ferrari to enhance the straight-line performance of the SF-26 if the team hopes to keep pace with Mercedes, who have dominated the opening rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Silver Arrows, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli at the helm, have claimed all three pole positions and three race victories so far, including the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Despite trailing the W17 by only a few tenths, both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have shown they can challenge Mercedes in the early stages of races. Ferrari has demonstrated strong race starts and flexible deployment strategies, allowing the Italian squad to remain competitive immediately after standing starts and restarts. However, this early-season promise has yet to translate into consistent race wins or championship leadership.
At the Australian Grand Prix and the Shanghai International Circuit, the Ferrari drivers finished third and fourth respectively, underscoring that the team still has ground to cover in order to compete with Mercedes’ front-running duo. Nonetheless, Shanghai marked a milestone for Lewis Hamilton, who achieved his first podium finish for Scuderia Ferrari on his 26th attempt with the team. The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion described this as a moment of personal pride, acknowledging that the achievement took longer than he had originally anticipated.
Lewis Hamilton explained that his journey with Ferrari, including the transition to the Italian team and the pursuit of top-step finishes, has been a process longer than expected. Reflecting on his first podium, he conveyed that working closely with the Ferrari engineers and contributing to the SF-26’s development over the past year has been a source of great pride and a unique privilege, emphasizing the honor of being part of the iconic Scuderia Ferrari brand.
So far in 2026, Lewis Hamilton has demonstrated renewed energy and focus, openly praising the strengthened collaboration with the Maranello squad. While the Ferrari power unit has yet to match the performance of the Mercedes engine in terms of outright speed, the SF-26 chassis has shown impressive stability and competitiveness in cornering, allowing both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to extract maximum performance in technical sections of the track.
According to Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari has provided a solid overall package that lays the foundation for further progress. The Briton emphasized that the team’s next key objective must be to close the gap in straight-line speed to the Brackley-based outfit. Lewis Hamilton noted that while the cornering performance is already strong, matching Mercedes on the straights is essential for converting podiums into potential race wins and maintaining a championship challenge throughout the season.
Looking ahead, the seven-time world champion believes that incremental improvements to Ferrari’s SF-26, combined with strategic deployment and continued collaboration with Charles Leclerc, could bring the team closer to genuine title contention. The Briton’s comments underline a clear roadmap for Ferrari in 2026: strengthen straight-line pace while leveraging the car’s existing cornering advantage to challenge Mercedes consistently across every race weekend.
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