5 Australia GP takeaways: Lewis Hamilton’s radio attitude is holding Ferrari back
I was very pleased by Ferrari’s performance in the Australian GP, but there are still some things to work on ahead of China. So here are my key takeaways from Melbourne.
Heading into the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, I expected both of our Ferrari drivers to finish in the top six. Thankfully, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc exceeded these expectations, with Leclerc getting a podium and Hamilton finishing fourth. However, it wasn’t a perfect performance, and there is plenty for the Tifosi to unpack ahead of the second Grand Prix of the season in China.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s Melbourne Results
- Session Result: Charles Leclerc (3rd), Lewis Hamilton (4th)
- Gap to Pole: Charles Leclerc (+15.519s), Lewis Hamilton (+16.144s)
- Key Highlight: Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton exceeded my pre-race weekend expectations, with Leclerc getting a podium and Hamilton following closely behind in 4th.
1: Lewis Hamilton’s Radio Complaints Aren’t Helpful
Firstly, I understand that Lewis Hamilton is a seven-time F1 Drivers’ World Champion, but the way he was talking to Carlo Santi during the Australian Grand Prix really rubbed me the wrong way. I guess he was frustrated that we decided not to pit during the VSC, but this turned out to be the correct call as Ferrari didn’t have the race pace to compete with Mercedes. Meaning an alternative strategy was the best and only way to potentially steal a win in Melbourne. There's a lot of talk about the Hamilton race engineer drama, and I'm running out of patience because no issue exists. Santi did a great job in Australia, and the strategy was fine. When we eventually find a race engineer that Hamilton is happy with, this has to mean the end of the radio saga forever, as Charles Leclerc rarely has complaints.
2: Overtaking Is Easy In 2026
I mean, does this point need much explaining? The start of the 2026 Melbourne GP was brilliant entertainment, and not just because Charles Leclerc stormed to the front. But even later in the race, these cars showed that with the right driver behind the wheel, getting overtakes done is easy and exciting. This should work well for us, as Ferrari didn’t look the fastest car on the grid in qualifying, meaning we’ll have to get the moves done in the races.
3: Charles Leclerc Is Who We Can Trust At Ferrari
As I touched on earlier in this article, Charles Leclerc quietly went about his business in Australia, and I’m glad his attitude earned him a podium finish. I have been critical of Leclerc’s killer nature in the past, as at times I feel he can be too passive when working his way up the grid. However, not only was Leclerc aggressive against George Russell, but his demeanor on the radio was cool, calm, and collected - the polar opposite to Lewis Hamilton. I know the Monegasque driver has complained over the radio in the past, but for the most part he is respectful and has always seemed proud to represent Ferrari. Leclerc is hardly one of the greatest Ferrari drivers of all time, but he seems to once again be the driver we can trust to bring in the points for the Scuderia in 2026 - so that’s good enough for me.
4: Mercedes Are The Team To Beat
I know Mercedes won the race, so this point seems a little bit redundant. However, they won it with relative ease, which didn’t entirely surprise me, but it’s certainly annoying. This means that for most of the early races, Ferrari are going to have to use alternative strategies like they did in Melbourne in order to compete against the Silver Arrows. It’s not like we can’t compete at all against Mercedes, but I believe Ferrari is certainly at a disadvantage at this point in the season. But we are expecting most teams to develop their cars continually in 2026, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the “car to beat” title changed hands multiple times this season.
5: A Constructors’ Title Is Possible This Season
I know, I know. Claiming to be title contenders after the opening race of the season is very stupid. However, I do honestly believe that if we can before like we did in Melbourne for most of the races in 2026, we will have a real chance of a Constructors’ title. Despite Lewis Hamilton’s complaints over the radio, both he and Charles Leclerc were competitive, meaning we have two cars ready to claim maximum points in each race. We will have to see if this form carries over to China and Japan, but I’m hopeful that we can really challenge the likes of Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren this year.
Catch up on our Ferrari Driver Academy prospects in their Formula 2 and Formula 3 outings in Melbourne below:
Brian Heffernan
Brian Heffernan
