Australian F1 GP | Ferrari miscalculates strategy with VSC, but the SF-26 was born well

The World Cup Formula 1 2026 was shot under the sun ofAlbert Park, delivering to the archives a Australian Grand Prix which offered the first verdicts on a technical regulation that is still widely discussed. In this uncertain scenario, the Classic Ferrari for sale comes out of the inaugural stage with a solid balance but not without regrets, signing a third place with Charles Leclerc and a fourth place with Lewis Hamilton. The SF-26 proved to be a valid technical base, capable of fighting for the leadership in the first half of the race, before a reviewable strategic management and the energy superiority of the Mercedes Benz they shuffled the values ​​on the field.

The Prancing Horse had its dream of victory close to hand when Leclerc found himself in the lead of the race with a super start and engaging in a close duel with the W17 di George Russell. The crucial moment coincided with the regime of Virtual Safety Car, a phase in which the Maranello wall opted for a strategy that didn't pay off, missing the pit stop while the two Silver Arrows were fitting new hard tyres. With the second VSC, timing and bad luck (the pit lane was closed) further penalised the Ferrari drivers.

The debut of the new power units put all the teams to the test in terms of battery management. From the very first moments, the drivers found themselves battling with minimal charge levels, a problem that affected the entire grid and forced Leclerc into an exercise of management Extreme already during the first lap. Despite the initial confusion and the engineers' inability to provide assistance via radio during the most hectic phases, the Monegasque managed to navigate the situation well, keeping his nerve as his car's systems reported energy levels near zero.

While Leclerc maintained the lead of the race, Lewis Hamilton He staged a solid comeback. After a disappointing qualifying session that saw him start further back than the car's true potential, in seventh place, the Briton showed excellent race pace. Towards the end of the race, the seven-time world champion appeared visibly faster than his teammate, threatening Leclerc's podium finish and finishing less than a second behind, a sign of a good feeling with the car. SF-26, what was needed after a disastrous 2025.

Analysis: Leclerc's podium ushers in a new era

Despite taking home the trophy, Charles Leclerc's post-race expression didn't radiate the joy one might expect from an inaugural podium. The Monegasque driver honestly admitted his dissatisfaction, primarily due to a weekend he'd gone "back and forth" with regards to setup, never finding the driving consistency needed to extract the most from the car between free practice and the race. The eight-tenths gap in qualifying remains an important warning bell, only partially mitigated by a race pace that today appeared less distant from that of the Mercedes. Managing the strategy was made even more difficult by a car that had not yet been optimised, suffering towards the end in trying to contain the return of his teammate.

For his part, Lewis Hamilton preferred to focus on the positives. The seven-time world champion felt a strong connection with the car from the moment the lights went out, and with a couple more laps, he could have even overtaken Leclerc. Hamilton sees the work done in Maranello and at the factory as a solid foundation on which to build his pursuit of Mercedes, a goal far from impossible despite the current advantage held by his rivals from Brackley.

While calling Melbourne a "good race," Vasseur acknowledged that Mercedes had a performance advantage throughout the weekend, estimated at around half a second depending on the configuration. According to the French manager, the strategic choice of not pitting during the Virtual Safety Car It was part of a plan to extend the stint, a gamble thwarted by the bad luck of the second VSC.

Vasseur confirmed that Ferrari still has a long list of areas where it needs to improve. Although significant chassis updates are already planned for the upcoming races, the priority remains optimizing the power unit and energy departments. The current gap isn't attributable to a single area, but rather to an overall compromise between mechanics and electronics that still needs to be perfected. A completely different scenario awaits the next round in China: the colder temperatures and less extreme energy characteristics of the Shanghai track could once again shake things up, offering Ferrari the opportunity to start fresh in a more favorable climate.