Lewis Hamilton outlines ‘night and day’ difference between Mercedes and Ferrari F1 2026 cars

Lewis Hamilton has outlined the areas the place there’s a “evening and day” distinction between Mercedes and Ferrari’s Components 1 vehicles.

Mercedes stays the benchmark in F1 this season after persevering with its unbeaten begin to the 2026 marketing campaign as Andrea Kimi Antonelli clinched a dominant fifth win on the bounce on the Monaco Grand Prix.

Hamilton ran second for many of the race and finally watched Antonelli pull clear within the first stint. The seven-time world champion couldn’t get forward throughout a standing restart following a late crimson flag and needed to settle with P2.

After the race, Hamilton highlighted the place the Mercedes is clearly stronger and what Ferrari must do to enhance its SF-26.

“Sadly, we each mainly received just about the identical begins,” Hamilton mentioned.  “I believe I gained on him just a bit bit and I used to be virtually to his rear wheel, however not sufficient to pop me within the lead, sadly. After which as we received going, I simply received to see him draw back.

“The efficiency they’ve is subsequent degree, so it was expertise as a result of it offers me a significantly better thought of the place I have to have the workforce lean and enhance, not solely from what I am feeling, however what I am seeing as effectively. And, yeah, there’s plenty of issues that we have to react to.

“Simply basic efficiency. Downforce-wise, clearly they’re above us, after which, clearly, the facility. For us right here, energy’s not such a difficulty. It is simply downforce.

“You’ll be able to see simply on traction, these guys have been evening and day totally different to us. Hopefully we have got some efficiency coming, and the fellows are working fairly arduous again within the manufacturing unit, so I hope that they are proud of this consequence.”

The consequence has seen Hamilton transfer as much as second place within the championship, 66 factors behind Antonelli and two forward of his former Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who completed out of the factors after his race was wrecked by a disastrous double penalty.

“I am unable to imagine that I am second within the championship, and I am actually blissful and grateful for that, and I could not have executed that with out this workforce, with out the reliability that we have now,” Hamilton mentioned.

“It is nonetheless very early days within the season, so we simply need to hold chasing. It is truly simpler to alter than it’s to defend, I’d say, in life. And so whereas these guys are very, very excessive, we will hold pushing, hold chasing. I’ve little question at some stage we will get there.”