Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton has finally opened up about Ferrari’s early-season struggles after a disappointing seventh-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix. The Briton, who swapped Mercedes for Ferrari in 2024 to pursue his elusive eighth title, has endured a rocky start to the season. After finishing tenth in Bahrain and securing a morale-boosting Sprint race win in China, Hamilton’s hopes were dashed in Japan with a disqualification from the main race followed by a lackluster P7.
Post-race, the 39-year-old pinpointed a critical flaw in his Ferrari SF-25—a revelation that could shape his season’s trajectory.
Lewis Hamilton highlights Ferrari’s hidden hurdle
While teammate Charles Leclerc clinched fourth at Suzuka, Hamilton grappled with an inconsistent SF-25. The British icon revealed that a specific component at the rear of his car has been “underperforming” since the season opener, creating a noticeable gap between his side of the garage and Leclerc’s.
“Through the first three races, there’s been a bit of a deficit on my side,” Lewis Hamilton admitted to Sky F1. “I’m really hoping when that’s fixed, I’ll start getting better results.”
The rear instability, particularly during high-speed corners, hampered Hamilton’s qualifying efforts and race pace. Despite maximizing his performance in Japan—overtaking Haas’ Isack Hadjar for seventh—he acknowledged the SF-25’s limitations.
“I didn’t have anything else in the car,” he confessed. “We’ve got underperformance happening at the rear this weekend, and qualifying position is key.”
With Ferrari trailing McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull in outright speed, Hamilton ranked the team fourth in the pecking order, estimating a three-to-four-tenths deficit per lap.
The uphill battle ahead
Lewis Hamilton’s frustration stems from Ferrari’s inability to bridge the gap to the front-runners. While he praised the team’s progress, he tempered expectations about immediate fixes.
“We’ve got a lot of work to close the gap,” he said, hinting at planned upgrades but avoiding specifics. “It’ll be interesting to see when people bring developments. We need to match their downforce levels.”
The short turnaround to the Bahrain Grand Prix offers little respite, but Hamilton remains cautiously optimistic.
“I hope we’re a bit closer next weekend,” he added, emphasizing the need for consistency.
His Sprint victory in China proved flashes of potential, yet translating that into Grand Prix success requires resolving the SF-25’s rear-end gremlins.
A season of patience and persistence
For now, Lewis Hamilton’s focus is on incremental gains. “We’ll slowly progress the car,” he stated, acknowledging the marathon nature of the 24-race calendar. While rivals like George Russell and Kimi Antonelli outshined him in Japan, the veteran’s resolve remains unshaken. With upgrades on the horizon and a relentless work ethic, Hamilton’s quest for that historic eighth crown hinges on Ferrari’s ability