Ferrari Boss Vasseur Pleased With Hamilton's Strong 2026 Start

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Ferrari opened the 2026 Formula One season with a solid points haul in Australia, as Charles Leclerc finished third and Lewis Hamilton climbed from seventh on the grid to fourth. Mercedes still set the pace with race winner George Russell and second-placed Kimi Antonelli, yet Frederic Vasseur viewed Ferrari’s overall step forward as significant.

Hamilton’s drive at Albert Park followed a difficult first year with Ferrari, when the seven-time world champion missed the podium across the entire campaign. Hamilton’s best result in 2025 was fourth place, achieved four times, an unusual return for a driver with such a long record of success in Formula One.

Vasseur praised Hamilton’s response in Melbourne but warned against judging performances race by race. "Very pleased with the performance of Lewis over the weekend, but I think we have to stop saying one weekend he's there, one weekend he's not there," said Vasseur. "It's a sport, sometimes we are doing a good session, sometimes not. [On Saturday] the quali, honestly, as a team principal, I was disappointed. [On Sunday] it was much better. It's part of the game that we have to work all together, to push all together."

While Russell delivered victory for Mercedes and Antonelli secured second in Hamilton’s former seat, Ferrari’s consistency through pre-season testing and the Australian Grand Prix suggested progress on multiple fronts. The team reached the podium in round one this year, after needing until the fifth race to do so in the previous season.

The next round takes Hamilton back to the Chinese Grand Prix, where Hamilton claimed a sprint win in 2025, Ferrari’s first victory with Hamilton. Hamilton has historically dominated at Shanghai International Circuit and returns with an extensive record that underlines Hamilton’s status as the most successful driver at this venue.

Hamilton holds the outright records in China for race wins, pole positions, fastest laps and podiums. Hamilton also leads the statistics for laps led and points scored at the circuit, highlighting why the track suits Hamilton’s style. The figures below outline Hamilton’s achievements at the Chinese Grand Prix so far.

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Ferrari 2026 season: Long-term targets and areas for improvement

Ferrari’s early pace has raised hopes of a sustained title challenge, with the team seeking a first Constructors' Championship since 2008. Vasseur, however, stressed that the current package remains a work in progress, across strategy, power unit and chassis, and also in how the drivers handle this generation of car during races.

"We know that we have tonnes of things to improve - on the strategy, on the engine, on the chassis, on the tyres, on everything," said the Ferrari team principal. "And for the drivers to be used to deal with the car as it is today. If you have the radio of everybody, you saw that it's quite a challenge. It's true for us, but it's true for the others. The result will be based on our capacity to improve quickly."

Ferrari’s combination of Hamilton’s experience, Leclerc’s consistency and Vasseur’s call for rapid development leaves the team better placed than one year earlier, yet still chasing Mercedes. The outcome of the early flyaway races, starting with China, is likely to show whether Ferrari’s 2026 gains can translate into a sustained championship push.