Lewis Hamilton endured his most difficult weekend of the 2026 Formula One season at Suzuka, finishing sixth after starting in the same position. The seven time world champion briefly looked set for a podium but ultimately fell back as rivals George Russell, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris surged past in the closing stages.
A mid race Safety Car offered Hamilton an opportunity to fight back. He capitalised on the restart to overtake Russell and move into third place. However, the momentum did not last long. Both Russell and Ferrari teammate Leclerc regained positions, before Norris made a late move to push Hamilton further down the order.
Hamilton pointed to a lack of power as the key issue behind his struggles throughout the race. Despite managing tyres as instructed and pushing when needed, he felt unable to match the pace of those around him.
He admitted that something did not feel right with the car, especially during the second stint. Even with fresh tyres, he was unable to defend his position or close the gap to competitors. The situation left him puzzled and searching for answers after the race.
This result marked a contrast to his earlier performances in the season. Hamilton had finished fourth in Australia and secured his first podium with Ferrari in China, raising expectations ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. Instead, Suzuka exposed performance concerns that the team will need to address quickly.
Leclerc, on the other hand, delivered a more competitive showing. The Monegasque driver recovered well from an unfavourable Safety Car phase and fought hard in on track battles to secure a strong finish. He remains third in the Drivers Championship, although he trails leader Kimi Antonelli by 23 points.
Leclerc acknowledged that Ferrari extracted the maximum possible result under the circumstances but highlighted a clear performance gap to Mercedes. He noted that their rivals currently hold a significant advantage, particularly in power unit performance.
While engine development is restricted, Leclerc emphasised that Ferrari must focus on improving other areas such as aerodynamics, chassis performance and tyre management. Closing the gap will require a collective effort across all aspects of the car.
For Ferrari, Suzuka served as both a warning sign and a motivation boost. With clear limitations exposed, the team now faces the challenge of responding quickly to stay competitive in the title race.
