Lewis Hamilton ended the Japanese Grand Prix in sixth place. The British driver’s performance was noticeably below expectations, as he struggled to stay in contention for the podium compared to his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. Even Lando Norris managed to get ahead of the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, leaving the #44 car to exit Suzuka clearly disappointed. With the upcoming one-month break, Ferrari will be working hard in the factory to improve the SF-26’s performance for the next races.
After the race, speaking to Mara Sangiorgio, Lewis Hamilton was asked whether it would be possible to close the gap to Mercedes. The seven-time world champion expressed his doubts: “I don’t know how much can be done in a month, but I hope that by Miami we get a new engine, and then we’ll see what we can do. Today we were missing a lot of power,” he concluded. The regret was evident on the British driver’s face, but the season is still long, and Lewis Hamilton started the year with a significantly different pace compared to 2025.
Lewis Hamilton’s disappointment at Suzuka therefore centers on a clear performance gap between the Ferrari power unit and the front-running Mercedes. Based on the content of his post-race remarks, the arrival of a new engine in Miami will be the critical turning point for his 2026 Formula 1 championship aspirations.
