Formula 1 fans have been reacting on social media after watching Lewis Hamilton's performance at the Australian Grand Prix.
On Sunday, the 2026 F1 season started with a bang as the first race of the calendar took place around Albert Park in Melbourne.
Perhaps as expected, Mercedes dominated as George Russell converted his pole position to a victory, finishing ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton, who qualified seventh, ended the race in fourth place, more than 16 seconds adrift of Russell.
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Having seen what the Ferrari could be capable of during pre-season testing, many were left disappointed again by the Scuderia's strategy calls.
The team twice opted not to pit their drivers during the Virtual Safety Car period, which may well have denied Leclerc and Hamilton a shot at winning the race.
Despite the disappointment, fans were left impressed by Hamilton's performance, especially after what was a tough debut season for the Brit in 2025.
One fan said: "I am happy because today I saw Lewis Hamilton hungry, and I missed it. My old dog is f*****g alive!!!! 2026 will be delicious."
Another tweeted: "I won't lie, I'm gutted Lewis couldn't get onto the podium today. But this race showed us everything we needed to see. Welcome back to the top, SIR Lewis Hamilton... this year will be fun."
A third fan added: "Lewis Hamilton, between 0.4 and 0.6 seconds faster than Charles in the second stint, and he had the same pace as him in the first stint. Lewis is really back!"
Someone else wrote: "Lewis Hamilton is back btw. A podium is nice but we must stay aware because Hamilton was extremely solid here."
A fifth commented: "Yes champ still going strong, there will be no one like him, Sir Lewis Hamilton is here to stay."
What did Lewis Hamilton say about the Australian GP?
Speaking after the race, Hamilton praised the Ferrari team.
The seven-time world champion said: "I'm generally really proud of the team. They have done an amazing job to get the car to where it is. Of course, we are not as fast at Mercedes and we have work to do but we are right in the fight.
"It was a really fun race and it felt good or me. A couple more laps and I would have had Charles, so I had great pace. Lots of positives to take from today."
Hamilton will be looking to secure his first-ever podium as a Ferrari driver next weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Topics: Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Fan Reactions
Marcus Chan