Lewis Hamilton’s bitter qualifying and comparison with Charles Leclerc: the choice that penalised him – Japanese GP. Lewis Hamilton will start from eighth position at the Japanese GP.

The seven-time Formula 1 world champion doesn’t seem to have found the right balance over the Suzuka weekend. This is also due to an SF-25 still showing evident issues that need to be unlocked to reach its full potential. On one hand, there has been some progress. Charles Leclerc secured fourth on the grid and appears to have regained confidence in a temperamental car.

It will be crucial for Ferrari not to make mistakes. The double disqualification in China has already hurt the Maranello team, which now finds itself in fifth place in the constructors’ standings, level with an improving Williams.

In post-qualifying interviews, Lewis Hamilton analysed his session, identifying what might have gone wrong with his Ferrari: “If I had found the right balance, I wouldn’t be here. It wasn’t a great job from me. Eighth place is nothing special. We’re running higher than I would like, but we’re all in the same boat.”

The height issue had already been observed in Australia, as we have speculated. Then he praised his teammate: “Charles did a fantastic job. Great to see him so close to the front row, he was very quick.”

If the Monegasque driver at least managed to place his car on the second row, what was missing for Lewis Hamilton? The Brit explained that both of them “took different directions with the setup. I had a lot of understeer and just couldn’t find the balance. The setup Charles chose might be more effective over a single lap.” – he pointed out.

Tomorrow, however, wet track conditions could change everything. And Lewis Hamilton is hoping for just that: “I really love the rain and I hope it arrives tomorrow after a qualifying like this.” – the British driver concluded at the end of the qualifying session for the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka.