Lewis Hamilton has confirmed that Ferrari have found an issue with their car but is hopeful of a remedy for the next race in Bahrain.
The seven-time F1 world champion, who qualified eighth on the grid, finished the Japanese Grand Prix in seventh after a largely uneventful race at Suzuka.
With teammate Charles Leclerc finishing fourth, Ferrari are still short of pace compared to frontrunners McLaren, as well as Mercedes and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull car. The Dutchman claimed victory on Sunday, ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Yet looking ahead to the next race in Bahrain, 40-year-old Hamilton confirmed Ferrari have found an “underperforming” component of the car which they are looking to fix.
“I did the best I could today, I was generally lacking performance compared to the cars ahead of me, especially Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren,” he told Sky Sports F1.
“We’ve found something on the car which is underperforming, so if that’s fixed… I’m losing over a tenth a lap. Qualifying is clearly really important.”
Pressed further on the issue, amid paddock whispers it’s focused on the rear of the car, Hamilton said: “They’re [the team] aware of it, they don’t know why [it’s happening.]
“When the new component comes, hopefully it will be gone. I’m relatively happy with the race-pace I had, good performance for the team, myself and Ricciardo [Adami, race engineer] did a great job, onwards and upwards.”
Hamilton was actually the only top-10 runner to make up a place in the whole race, overtaking Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar early on.
TOP-10 - JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
1. Max Verstappen
2. Lando Norris
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Charles Leclerc
5. George Russell
6. Kimi Antonelli
7. Lewis Hamilton
8. Isack Hadjar
9. Alex Albon
10. Ollie Bearman
The Briton is now eighth in the championship standings, 47 points off leader Lando Norris after three rounds. While he won the sprint race in China, he has struggled in the first three grands prix. He finished 10th in Australia and was disqualified in China, prior to this weekend in Japan.
“I’m really hoping in the next race we’ll see hopefully some positive changes,” Hamilton added.
“Through the first three races, there’s been a bit of a deficit between both sides of the garage on some elements of the car.
“On my side, underperforming. So it’s good to know.”
Leclerc, meanwhile, also raised concerns with the general pace of the SF-25 after the first three races of the season.
“There wasn’t anything more in the car… but it’s even more disappointing when you do everything you can and you finish fourth,” he said.
“The positive is we maximised the weekend, the negative is we didn’t have the pace.
“I’m confident for the rest of the year I can maximise the car, but if it’s P4 it’s not great.”
Race four of the 2025 season is in Bahrain next week (11-13 April).
McLaren’s ‘panic’ F1 strategy slammed as Norris loses out to Verstappen in Japan
Max Verstappen wins Japanese Grand Prix after pit-lane tussle with Lando Norris
F1 standings after Japanese Grand Prix as Max Verstappen cuts gap to Lando Norris
Haas poach F1 driver from Alpine in surprise move ahead of Bahrain GP
Carlos Sainz fined for Japan national anthem absence despite health issue
Max Verstappen’s 87-second masterclass sends clear F1 title message to McLaren
