Lewis Hamilton showed a renewed side at the Formula 1 Australian GP, finishing in fourth position, but impressing with a consistent pace with the Ferrari SF-26 under the new 2026 rules. For Marc Priestley, Hamilton’s former mechanic during his McLaren days, the Briton emerged ‘as a totally new Lewis’.
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“Yes, I absolutely believe that Lewis will get on the podium, and he thinks so too,” Priestley stated. “The most important thing about this weekend was seeing an excited and positive Lewis Hamilton during almost the entire race. Despite finishing behind his teammate (Charles Leclerc), at several moments he led in terms of pace among the Ferrari cars.”
Hamilton, who chased Leclerc in the final laps, stated that he loved driving the SF-26 and was confident that he could have reached the podium with just a few more laps: “I personally loved it. I thought the race was very fun to drive. The car was really very good. And I watched the cars ahead, there were good battles. So far, so good,” said the British driver.
Priestley also highlighted that Hamilton’s emotional state has always influenced his performance, as happened during his early years at McLaren: “There was more performance in keeping Lewis happy and in emotional balance than any adjustment to the car. I can say from personal experience, your emotional state affects your performance, as it affects all of us,” he added.
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The former mechanic believes that the new Ferrari seems to suit Hamilton’s driving style better than the ground-effect car of the previous era: “It could be that the tide is turning and that it is starting to favor Lewis a bit again,” he completed.
The race in Australia showed that Hamilton arrived at the 2026 season with more confidence and motivation, and seems ready to seek his first podium with Ferrari.
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