Lewis Hamilton makes worrying F1 admission after 'terrible' Japanese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, China, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

Lewis Hamilton makes worrying Ferrari admission after 'terrible' Japanese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton was not happy with his Ferrari's performance at Suzuka

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 30 March 2026 19:00

F1 legend Lewis Hamilton has been painfully upfront with the media after struggling to understand his Ferrari's lack of pace during the Japanese Grand Prix.

Just a few weeks ago, the seven-time champion was celebrating a return to the podium after finishing in the top three at the Chinese GP.

But after the third round in Japan last weekend, the Brit told media he simply 'didn't understand' how he fell behind the front of the pack after lining his Ferrari up on the third row of the grid before lights out on Sunday.

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Even with the help of Ferrari's lightning fast starting procedure, the 41-year-old only gained a single position to move up to P5 on the opening lap of the Japanese GP and was unable to remain in the fight for long, with team-mate Charles Leclerc eventually getting the better of him.

Back-to-back podiums did seem on the cards for Hamilton after the race restart, when Mercedes' George Russell lost P3 to his former team-mate. But Hamilton's defence was truly tested by Leclerc on lap 42, with the Scuderia's driver duo once again racing a little too close for comfort through Turns 1 and 2.

Hamilton: 'I don't understand'

The British racer clearly struggled with straight line speed throughout the 53-lap race, and when speaking to media after the Japanese GP, Hamilton appeared truly baffled by his lack of pace.

Speaking to Sky Sports after his P6 finish, Hamilton said: "Pretty, pretty terrible, ultimately, because I was P3 and ended up going backwards. But yeah, just need to understand where I was losing all the power.

"I just had a real lack of power through, particularly the second stint, but majority of the race, even from the beginning, I couldn't keep up with people just for the lack of power."

“I mean, I don't know. I don't really understand this. I'm full gas, and I'm managing where I've been asked to manage and for some reason just lacking power today.

The seven-time champion then hinted that Ferrari would need to do some digging on whether their car is holding them back or not before the Miami GP in May, saying: "So need to figure out there's something wrong with the car or not. But still, we got some points."

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 2026 regulations Japanese Grand Prix Suzuka