Lewis Hamilton recently commented on the performance gap he’s experienced between his car and that of his teammate Charles Leclerc at the Japanese Grand Prix, where he finished seventh. Leclerc showcased an impressive effort by qualifying in fourth place and maintaining that lead over both Mercedes drivers during the Suzuka race. Hamilton, on the other hand, started eighth on the grid and made a move past Isack Hadjar to claim seventh, marking the sole shift in the top ten standings. He feels he’s extracting the most he can from his car, despite dealing with an unspecified component issue.
“I’m pleased when I manage to gain positions,” Hamilton remarked. “I’m hoping we’ll see some positive changes in the next race. Over the previous races, there’s been a noticeable difference in the cars within our team due to a certain element, which isn’t quite performing on my side. Knowing that, I realize I’m achieving the best results possible.”
Hamilton estimates this difference could translate to losing about a tenth of a second per lap. As he looks ahead to the Bahrain Grand Prix, he remains cautious, acknowledging that Ferrari still faces a significant gap to bridge to compete with front-runners like McLaren and Mercedes.
“In terms of pace, given the discrepancy, I was at my maximum – there wasn’t more to extract from the car. We faced some performance issues at the rear this weekend, emphasizing the importance of qualifying positions,” he explained.
“I suspect I might have been passed by McLarens and Mercedes if I had been positioned further ahead. I’m hopeful the upcoming race will present an intriguing challenge.”
Discussing prospects for Bahrain, Hamilton remarked, “It’s bound to be interesting. I just hope we’re closer. Right now, we might be the fourth fastest car. We’re a bit behind in performance and downforce levels compared to others, so there’s a lot of ground to cover.”
Progress is happening, albeit slowly, with the car development. Hamilton is keenly interested in seeing how upgrades throughout the season will impact performance. “There’s significant work to be done if we want to close the gap to the top teams. They’re probably a few tenths ahead, and we need substantial upgrades to catch up,” he concluded.
