Lewis Hamilton’s Australian Grand Prix scare resurfaces after strong start to 2026 season – As the 2026 Formula 1 season gets into full swing, Lewis Hamilton has already provided fans with plenty of talking points. After opening the campaign with a solid result in Australia, the British driver followed it up with an even more encouraging breakthrough, securing his first podium of the season at last weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix.
Early signs suggest that Hamilton’s second year with Ferrari is heading in a far more positive direction. However, his relationship with the Australian Grand Prix has always been dramatic, both on and off the track.
A steady start with Ferrari in 2026
Hamilton began his season at the Australian Grand Prix with a fourth-place finish, just behind his teammate Charles Leclerc. While not quite a podium finish, this marked a steady and competitive start, something he lacked for much of the 2025 season, when he failed to finish in the top three at any point.
However, that narrative has already shifted. His podium finish in China just one week later has injected fresh optimism into his Ferrari career, suggesting that both driver and team are beginning to fulfil their potential together.
The shark encounter that shook Hamilton
Despite his success in Australia, where he has claimed two victories and multiple second-place finishes, Hamilton’s memories of the race weekend are not all positive.
In fact, one of his most bizarre pre-race experiences occurred in 2023, when he was still racing for Mercedes. That year, he went on to finish second in Melbourne, matching his best result of the season. However, what happened before the race nearly derailed his entire weekend.
During his time off, Hamilton travelled to Byron Bay, a popular coastal destination known for its beaches and surf culture. Eager to unwind, he decided to go surfing, only to be met with an unexpected and terrifying warning.
They said “If it comes, just hit it…!”
Speaking at the time, Hamilton recalled the moment he was told a shark had been spotted in the water.
“I was in Byron Bay; it was incredible. It’s my new favourite place. I decided to go surfing,” he explained. “But then I heard there was a shark in the area, which terrified me.”
What followed only made matters worse. Locals tried to reassure him, but their advice did little to calm his nerves.
“They were like, ‘No, it’ll be fine. If it comes, just hit it in the snout.’ These Australians are crazy.”
Unsurprisingly, Hamilton decided discretion was the better part of valour. The seven-time world champion quickly abandoned any further plans to surf, choosing instead to steer well clear of the ocean for the rest of the trip.
In hindsight, the incident has become one of the more humorous stories of Hamilton’s career. With a podium secured and momentum building, Hamilton’s attention is firmly back where it belongs: on the championship fight. While sharks may no longer be a concern, his rivals on the track might soon have something to worry about.
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NEXT ARTICLE – Formula One 2026: Entertainment or Sport?
Two race weekends down and the all new Formula One 2026 regulations have indeed had the biggest impact on the sport since its inception. As happened last time the engine rules were radically changed in 2014, it is Mercedes who have turned out on top. That said, Ferrari too have done a decent job as they sit second behind the silver arrows in the constructors’ championship.
For the rest of the field, the picture is not so rosy. If we tot up the points scored by the other nine constructors they total just four more than the Scuderia have accumulated across two races weekends.
Of course, it was expected there would be big winners and losers but presently the championships look to be a race between Ferrari and Mercedes, with the latter looking the stronger of the two.
FIA pause rule changes before Japan
The Sprint weekend in China happens to have settled some of the nerves up and down the paddock, as the expected emergency rule changes before Japan in less than two weeks time have been put on hold. Concerns remain that the disparity of performance between a car out of electrical power and one using its electrical boost systems are creating huge speed differentials which could result in a massive accident.
Then there’s the unwanted spectacle of drivers ‘going slow, to go fast’ in qualifying and the much criticised need to ‘lift and coast’ when in previous generations the cars would be flat out approaching a corner.
Unsurprisingly, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes on the whole the new regulations are working well, but given his drivers have won all three races to date, why would he say otherwise? “Qualifying flat-out would be nice. But when you look at the fans and the…CONTINUE READING THIS STORY
Thiago Treze is a Brazilian motorsport writer at TJ13 with a background in sports journalism and broadcast media, alongside an academic foundation in engineering with a focus on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This combination of technical knowledge and editorial experience allows Thiago to approach Formula 1 from both a performance and narrative perspective.
At TJ13, Treze covers driver performance, career developments, and key storylines across the Formula 1 grid, while also analysing the technical factors that influence competitiveness. This includes aerodynamic development trends, simulation-driven design approaches, and the engineering decisions that shape race weekend outcomes.
His reporting bridges the gap between human performance and machine development, helping readers understand how driver execution and technical innovation interact in modern Formula 1. Coverage often connects on-track events with the underlying engineering philosophies that define each team’s approach.
With a global perspective shaped by both journalism and technical study, Thiago also focuses on Formula 1’s international reach and the different ways the sport is experienced across regions.
Treze has a particular interest in how Computational Fluid Dynamics and aerodynamic modelling contribute to car performance, offering accessible explanations of complex technical concepts within Formula 1.
