Formula 1 had a qualifying of mixed signals for Lewis Hamilton at the 2026 Japanese GP. The Ferrari driver secured sixth place on the grid, but acknowledged that there is still a relevant gap to the fastest cars.
Read more F1: Haas does not advance to Q3, but remains optimistic for the Japanese GP
Despite this, the Briton highlighted evolution in the car’s performance and believes it is still possible to move forward during the race in Suzuka.
Just like his teammate, Hamilton advanced through the initial phases using only one set of Soft tires in Q1 and Q2. In Q3, he had two attempts with new tires.
On the first decisive lap, he recorded 1min29s567, a time that ended up being enough to keep him in sixth position. On the final attempt, he was unable to improve enough to move up the grid.
After the session, the seven-time champion evaluated the result in a balanced way. “Qualifying was ok today. It wasn’t where I expected to be, but the car had good moments and we saw encouraging signs,” he stated.
Read more F1: Hadjar sees limit in the car and aims for points in Japan
Hamilton emphasized that there is still performance to be found. “There is still a lot to extract, we made progress, and I am hopeful that we can move forward in the race,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that the challenge will not be simple. “We know there is still a significant gap to the cars ahead and a lot of work to be done,” he added.
With Ferrari starting on the third row, alongside Lando Norris’s McLaren, the expectation is for a direct battle for positions in the very first laps.
The Italian team is betting on a solid race pace, something already demonstrated in previous rounds, to try to turn Hamilton’s sixth place into a more significant result at the Japanese GP.
Read more F1: Verstappen admits difficulties and demands team improvement
