It was a tough Saturday for Lewis Hamilton and Scuderia Ferrari as they navigated a challenging qualifying session for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Despite making changes to the car ahead of qualifying, the improvements didn’t quite deliver the results they had hoped for.
“We made some changes to the car ahead of qualifying which, unfortunately, didn’t deliver the improvements we were aiming for,” Hamilton explained. “The car felt more balanced in the earlier stages, but I experienced significant understeer in Q3, which led to a couple of small mistakes that ultimately cost us.”
Despite the setback, Hamilton remains confident that the result doesn’t reflect Ferrari’s true potential. “There’s performance to be found, and the team has been working incredibly hard behind the scenes,” he added. “We’ll analyze the data overnight and do everything we can to come back stronger in the race.”
For the Japanese Grand Prix, Hamilton will start from the eighth position on the grid, while his teammate Charles Leclerc will line up in fourth. The qualifying session at Suzuka was closely contested, with Max Verstappen securing pole position, followed by the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
On his fastest lap, Hamilton’s second sector wasn’t ideal, leaving him in eighth place with a time of 1’27”610. Leclerc, on the other hand, posted a 1’27”299 on his first attempt, which saw him briefly take third, before eventually dropping to fourth behind Norris.
The uncertainty around the weather for Sunday’s race adds another layer of challenge. The forecast suggests rain is a possibility, which could lead to varying conditions throughout the 53-lap race. This will be a test of adaptability for both the drivers and teams, especially since there’s a lack of data from long runs due to numerous red flags during free practice. With potential mixed conditions, the strategy and tire management could make a big difference in the race.
The engineers at Ferrari will have a long night ahead of them as they prepare for every possible scenario, whether the race begins on a wet track, remains entirely under the rain, or runs in dry conditions. One thing is certain: concentration and the ability to quickly adapt to changing conditions will be key factors in securing a strong result.
The Japanese Grand Prix is set to begin at 14:00 local time (7:00 CEST) tomorrow, and both Hamilton and Leclerc will be aiming to extract the maximum from their cars, come rain or shine.
