Hamilton Disappointed in P8 Qualifying at Japanese Grand Prix

SUZUKA, Japan — Lewis Hamilton expressed disappointment in his qualifying performance for the Japanese Grand Prix, finishing eighth while teammate Charles Leclerc secured fourth place. The qualifying session took place on Saturday at the Suzuka International Racing Course, a circuit known for its technical challenges.

Hamilton, who is still adjusting to his new role at Ferrari, struggled throughout the qualifying session and admitted, “P8 is not great. I was happy to get into Q3, but I just didn’t get very good laps in Q3.” His session included an incident with Carlos Sainz, who impeded Hamilton during Q2, prompting frustration from the seven-time world champion over team radio.

“I generally struggled throughout the qualifying session,” Hamilton reflected. “I had a big snap of oversteer in the middle sector on the first lap, and then [in the] second lap I was only down in that sector so, yeah, not where I want to be.” Despite the setback, Hamilton remains optimistic about the race, particularly with rain potentially affecting the conditions on race day.

“Still I’m excited for tomorrow. It still can be fun from where I am,” he said. The unpredictable weather could play a crucial role, as Hamilton noted, “I’m excited, I generally love the rain. It’s going to be tricky, but usually, when you have a qualifying like I’ve just had, you hope for the rain.”

Leclerc’s performance stood in contrast to Hamilton’s, as he deemed his fourth-place finish the maximum potential achievable given the car’s current performance advantages. “This was definitely the best we could get out of it today,” Leclerc commented. “It’s on one hand disappointing because P4 is never what you want to fight for, but on the other hand I’m quite satisfied with the day off [the back of] yesterday.”

The Monegasque driver acknowledged ongoing challenges with the car’s performance throughout the season, stating, “We’ve maximised the car potential, but we are just lacking overall performance at the moment.” Leclerc noted he would prefer to race in dry conditions to fully assess recent changes made to the car setup.

Hamilton and Leclerc’s results reflect a broader pattern for Ferrari this season, where they have often been the third or fourth fastest team on the grid. Hamilton’s best result this season was a sprint race victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, but he has faced challenges in full race scenarios. He also had incurred a disqualification earlier this season due to car regulations regarding plank wear.

Looking ahead to the race, Hamilton is focused on utilizing any potential advantages presented by the weather. Matthew Campbell, the team principal, echoed support for the drivers, confirming that adjustments would be made to enhance their race setup: “We are running higher than we’d like, but everyone is in the same boat in that respect,” he said.