Lewis Hamilton faced an unusual problem at the Formula 1 Japanese GP, which compromised a possible podium. The Briton denied, however, that the power unit failure was due to Ferrari and pointed to a combination of factors.
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The episode drew attention because the seven-time champion lost significant straight-line performance in Suzuka, about 0.6 to 0.8 seconds, even after putting himself in a favorable position with a well-timed safety car. The drop in performance had a direct impact on the final result.
Hamilton started well and even occupied third place, but ended up falling to sixth, his final position, after being overtaken by several drivers, including teammate Charles Leclerc. Unlike the Briton, the Monegasque did not face problems and secured third place, increasing the frustration of the weekend.
After the race, Hamilton admitted that Ferrari still did not fully understand the origin of the failure. “I just had power issues during the race. For some reason, I was at a disadvantage,” he said. The Briton also highlighted the difference compared to his teammate’s identical car: “Somehow, Charles had more power than me, in the same car. So I need to understand why.”
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Before the Miami GP, Hamilton explained that the team took advantage of the break to investigate the case more thoroughly. According to the seven-time Formula 1 champion, the problem was identified and was not only related to the power unit, indicating a more complex cause for the loss of performance in Japan.
“So, we fixed that, worked on the simulator, were at the factory every week, trained a lot, and prepared for this weekend,” he concluded.
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