‘Not where we expected’: Frustrated Lewis Hamilton starts P7 for Australian Grand Prix

Melbourne: A frustrated Lewis Hamilton admitted Saturday that his seventh-place finish in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix fell short of expectations, leaving the seven-time world champion with work to do for Sunday’s season opener.

Despite demonstrating a competitive pace in his Ferrari throughout the practice sessions at Albert Park, the Briton struggled to secure a front-row start. Hamilton is entering his second year with the Italian team following a difficult 2025 campaign and had hoped for a stronger beginning to the new regulatory era.

"Today's result is not where we wanted or expected to be, mainly because we lost execution at an important stage of qualifying," Hamilton said. "However, the car felt solid, and there is clearly more potential than the final position suggests. Now it's about understanding the issues, staying composed and making the most of tomorrow."

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Ferrari’s Mixed Fortunes

Hamilton’s teammate, Charles Leclerc, fared slightly better by clinching fourth on the grid. Both Ferraris trailed the dominant Mercedes of George Russell, who took the first pole position of the year. Leclerc noted that the technical overhaul of the sport's chassis and power units made the session particularly unpredictable.

"There were some challenges today, as expected for the first qualifying in these new cars," Leclerc said. "It's difficult to make any predictions for now. It's the first race weekend of a new regulatory cycle and a championship that will be won by development."

Leclerc added that the team is focused on maximising the performance of their current technical package and is eager to see how rivals manage the first full race distance under the 2026 rules.

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Vasseur Calls for Composure

Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur echoed the sentiment of missed opportunities but remained optimistic regarding the SF-26’s race trim. He noted that while testing provided data, the intensity of a live qualifying session revealed operational gaps.

"It was a new challenge, and we did not manage to put everything together as we had a few issues during the session," Vasseur said. "The most important thing is to learn from what we did not do well today and focus on tomorrow's race."

Hamilton will start Sunday's race from the fourth row, seeking to capitalise on Ferrari’s reputed engine reliability to move up the field.

With inputs from AFP