Lewis Hamilton Reflects on Disappointing Japanese Grand Prix Race

Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has expressed his disappointment following a seventh-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix. Hamilton highlighted the absence of a safety car as the factor that derailed his strategy during the race.

Identifying Issues with Ferrari

Hamilton pointed to issues with his Ferrari, stating that he was running the car higher than the team would have preferred after a disqualification in China. This affected the car’s aerodynamics and performance.

The lack of a safety car during the Suzuka campaign was something the Italian team had been counting on for their new driver. Hamilton, however, acknowledged that it didn’t make much difference in his case. He suggested that the medium tire would have been better for the start of the race, especially given the cool conditions.

Passing Racing Bulls‘ Isack Hadjar, Hamilton was one of few drivers to overtake during Sunday’s race. Despite starting from P8, Hamilton expressed hope for positive changes in the next race. He admitted that there has been a deficit between both sides of the garage on the car so far this season.

On my side, something’s underperforming, so it’s good to know,” Hamilton said. He is optimistic about potential improvements and is looking forward to seeing progress in the upcoming races.

Assessing Ferrari’s Pace

Hamilton believes that Ferrari is currently the fourth-fastest team on the grid. He acknowledged that they are slightly off the pace of the other teams in terms of performance, particularly in terms of downforce. This means there is work to be done to close the gap.

Hamilton emphasized that they will gradually progress the car and it will be interesting to see when upgrades are introduced for the season. He acknowledged that there is a lot of work to be done to bring the Scuderia machines up to speed with the top cars, which currently have a three or four-tenths advantage over them.

When can we expect these upgrades? Hamilton admitted that he doesn’t know the exact timeline. However, he remains optimistic about the team’s potential for improvement in the future.