Ferrari left this weekend’s Formula 1 Japanese GP in a positive way. In the race held this Sunday (29), Charles Leclerc achieved another podium in 2026 and Lewis Hamilton brought more important points for the championship.
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In the third round of the calendar, the Maranello team climbed to the podium for the third consecutive time with the Monegasque crossing the finish line in third, behind Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri.
“This time, we had to work very hard. We were a bit unlucky with the Safety Car, so I found myself forced to chase the cars ahead. In the first laps after the pit stop, I lost some positions, but in the end, stopping earlier was not a big disadvantage. I had to be very careful and manage the tires well to reach the end,” he said.
“The race was good, I just lacked a bit of pace to catch Oscar, but it was still a positive race and, with good energy management, I managed to defend the podium from George [Russell]’s attacks and bring good points to the team. We will use the next few weeks to analyze and work to take some steps forward before we return to the track in Miami and see how things will be after the break,” he added.
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Meanwhile, the seven-time Formula 1 champion crossed the finish line in sixth place and with that, Ferrari added 23 more points to the 2026 championship.
“It was a demanding race and, clearly, it wasn’t the result I wanted. My first stint was good in terms of tire management, but I simply didn’t have the pace to compete. The focus now is to understand why and find ways to improve. With a month until the next race, we will use this time to analyze every detail of these first three races and ensure we come back stronger,” he said.
