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Lewis Hamilton has revealed that Ferrari have identified a performance issue with their 2025 challenger following a modest showing at the Japanese Grand Prix. Despite finishing seventh in a largely uneventful race at Suzuka, the seven-time world champion is optimistic that a solution is in sight before the next round in Bahrain.
Starting from P8 on the grid, Hamilton was the only driver inside the top 10 to gain a position, overtaking Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar early in the race. While Charles Leclerc crossed the line in fourth, both Ferrari drivers were left grappling with a lack of pace compared to their rivals.
Red Bull and McLaren Still a Step Ahead
Max Verstappen once again asserted his dominance by clinching victory at Suzuka, followed by McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Mercedes also showed strong form, putting pressure on Ferrari’s bid to stay competitive in the early stages of the season.
Hamilton, speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race, pointed out the key problem holding back his SF-25.
“I did the best I could today, I was generally lacking performance compared to the cars ahead of me, especially Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren.”
Component Under Scrutiny
The 40-year-old confirmed that Ferrari had detected a specific issue with one of the car's components, believed to be causing performance loss.
“We’ve found something on the car which is underperforming, so if that’s fixed… I’m losing over a tenth a lap. Qualifying is clearly really important.”
Although Ferrari has yet to understand the root cause, Hamilton shared that efforts are underway to resolve the problem ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
“They’re [the team] aware of it, they don’t know why [it’s happening]. When the new component comes, hopefully it will be gone."
Upbeat Despite Setback
Despite the limitations, Hamilton remained upbeat about his own performance and collaboration with his race engineer.
“I’m relatively happy with the race-pace I had, good performance for the team, myself and Ricciardo [Adami, race engineer] did a great job, onwards and upwards.”
The result sees Hamilton eighth in the drivers’ standings, currently trailing championship leader Lando Norris by 47 points after three rounds.
“I’m really hoping in the next race we’ll see hopefully some positive changes,” he added.
Garage Split Raising Eyebrows
Hamilton also hinted at inconsistencies between the two sides of the Ferrari garage that may be contributing to the uneven start to his campaign.
“Through the first three races there’s been a bit of a deficit between both sides of the garage on some elements of the car. On my side, underperforming. So it’s good to know.”
Leclerc Echoes Concerns Over Pace
Meanwhile, teammate Charles Leclerc echoed Hamilton’s concerns regarding Ferrari’s current race pace. The Monegasque driver finished fourth but admitted there was little more he could extract from the car.
“There wasn’t anything more in the car… but it’s even more disappointing when you do everything you can and you finish fourth.”
He stressed that while he remains confident in his own ability to maximize performance, the SF-25 still has some catching up to do.
“The positive is we maximised the weekend, the negative is we didn’t have the pace. I’m confident for the rest of the year I can maximise the car, but if it’s P4 it’s not great.”
Next Stop: Bahrain
The 2025 Formula One season now heads to Bahrain for round four, scheduled from 11–13 April. With Ferrari working on the underperforming component and both drivers demanding more, the upcoming race could be pivotal in shaping the team’s direction for the rest of the season.
