F1 legend Lewis Hamilton has a plan to hunt down Mercedes: 'Not impossible'

Lewis Hamilton

F1 legend Lewis Hamilton has a plan to hunt down Mercedes: 'Not impossible'

Fighting talk from the seven-time world champion after the Australian Grand Prix

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 8 March 2026 19:54 Updated: 23:33

Lewis Hamilton is not going down without a fight and has revealed his plan to take it to F1 rivals Mercedes as the 2026 season gets into full swing.

Mercedes confirmed everyone's worst fears on Saturday and Sunday at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, with George Russell setting a qualifying time seven tenths of a second ahead of Red Bull's Isack Hadjar.

Following an early battle with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Mercedes' excellent stint on the hard tyres allowed Russell and Kimi Antonelli to sail to a 1-2, potentially a sign of things to come for the rest of the season.

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Despite Mercedes' dominant display, Hamilton remains optimistic about Ferrari being able to hunt down their rivals as the season progresses.

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Hamilton believes in Ferrari

Hamilton finished fourth overall at Albert Park, after problems in qualifying meant the champion was further back than he should have been, and crucially six tenths of a second behind team-mate Leclerc.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "I'm generally really proud of the team. They have done an amazing job to get the car to where it is."

"Of course, we are not as fast at Mercedes and we have work to do but we are right in the fight. It was a really fun race and it felt good for me. A couple more laps and I would have had Charles, so I had great pace. Lots of positives to take from today."

“There’s lots and lots of positives to take from it. We’ve got a lot of work to do to catch Mercedes but it’s not impossible. We’ve got to keep pushing, keep digging deep and I’ll keep pushing until our next race.”

How can Ferrari catch Mercedes?

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has previously claimed that the quickest car in Melbourne may not be the quickest at the end of year, with 2026 being a development championship.

On June 1, the FIA will introduce compression ratio tests when the car is running at higher temperatures, not just when they are static, which will end any speculation that a Mercedes engine trick has gifted the Silver Arrows an advantage.

Furthermore, Ferrari's speed on the starts could be a key weapon against Mercedes in 2026, with Leclerc able to get a brilliant launch off the line in Melbourne and take the lead on the first lap.

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes George Russell Australian Grand Prix