Hamilton Confident Ferrari Can Compete with Mercedes for the 2026 F1 Title

Lewis Hamilton has faith that Ferrari can compete in F1 2026 (Instagram/@scuderiaferrari).

JAKARTA - Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari has the ability to compete with Mercedes in the Formula 1 (F1) world championship this year after the opening Grand Prix in Australia.

The British racer finished fourth at Albert Park, Melbourne, on Sunday, March 8, 2026. He followed his teammate, Carles Leclerc, who filled the third podium - behind the Mercedes duo George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, who took first and second places.

The positive results at the beginning of the season made Hamilton open his mouth regarding their chances in the most prestigious car race in the world. He said that they had a big chance because their car had improved significantly.

"Overall, the team has done a great job. There are a lot of positive things to take. A few more laps and I should have been able to overtake Charles so I know we can compete for the podium," he said as quoted by The Guardian.

Hamilton and Leclerc actually had an amazing start in Melbourne. In the first 12 laps, they were even able to provide a tight fight to follow Russell who was in the front position.

Unfortunately, they eventually fell out of contention for victory after Mercedes took advantage of the virtual safety car to make a pit stop and Ferrari chose not to do so. Even so, Ferrari still showed impressive speed.

"We're not as fast as Mercedes, but we're in the right position. We still have to work hard to catch up with them, but it's not impossible," said Hamilton, who won his seventh world championship title in 2020.

Hamilton had a difficult debut with Ferrari last year. The 41-year-old driver closed the season very disappointing because he failed to get a podium for the first time in his incredible career.

After resting during the winter, Hamilton returned with the spirit of enjoying the competition under the new regulations that suit his wishes. He said that now the strategic decisions on the field will be the material for their evaluation in the future.

"We need to see if doing a pit stop will be better. I'm sure we should have gone to the pit or at least one of us to escort the Mercedes. We'll see what we can do better," he said.

Hamilton is currently chasing his eighth world champion in his career. If he manages to get it this season, he will automatically surpass Michael Schumacher's record to become the most successful driver in history.

F1 2026 will then hold races at the Shanghai International Circuit, China, on April 13-15, 2026. After that, the Asian series will continue to Japan as well as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, which could be disturbed by the war situation in Iran.