Hamilton hints at car deficit, blaming his Ferrari, compared to Leclerc after another disappointing result in Japan – Lewis Hamilton’s early tenure with Ferrari is beginning to raise eyebrows after another underwhelming race weekend. The seven-time world champion finished seventh in the Japanese Grand Prix, far from the front of the grid where he’s more used to running.
Teammate Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, put in a solid drive to finish fourth, firmly establishing himself as the team’s leader in the early stages of the season. But Hamilton’s post-race comments suggest that the difference between the two drivers may not just come down to driver performance alone.
In a subtle but telling assessment, Hamilton suggested that a technical discrepancy could be to blame for the gap in form between himself and Leclerc. The British driver alluded to a “shortfall” in his machinery, suggesting that his version of the Ferrari SF-25 has not been performing at the level of his teammate’s. While Ferrari have yet to confirm any significant hardware differences between the two cars, Hamilton’s comments point to deeper problems beneath the surface at Maranello.
McLaren safe strategy lacks ‘winning mentality’
Playing field is not level at Ferrari
Since joining Ferrari for the 2025 season, Hamilton has struggled to find his rhythm in red. Apart from a surprise victory in the Shanghai Sprint Race – a moment that briefly rekindled hope – the results have been disappointing.
He struggled to an eighth place finish in Australia and finished sixth in Saudi Arabia after a subdued drive. At Suzuka, a track where Hamilton has won multiple times, there was little sign of the driver who once dominated the hybrid era.
Qualifying seventh and finishing in the same position, Hamilton admitted he was struggling to extract performance from the car.
“I really hope we see some positive changes at the next GP in Bahrain,” he told the media after the race. “During the first three races, I was at a disadvantage compared to the car in the garage next to me due to certain elements. That is good to know, of course. With what I had, this is the best result I could have achieved”.
While Hamilton stopped short of directly accusing the team of favouring Leclerc, his statement clearly implied that something fundamental was holding him back. Whether it’s a technical set-up, software configuration or hardware issue, Hamilton believes the playing field is not level between the two Ferraris.
Leclerc thriving as Ferrari benchmark
While Hamilton has struggled to get comfortable, Charles Leclerc has started the season with consistent pace and confidence. The Monegasque driver, now in his sixth season with Ferrari, appears to be extracting the maximum from the SF-25.
At Suzuka, Leclerc was the best of the rest, finishing behind race winner Max Verstappen and the two McLarens, confirming Ferrari’s status as one of the top three teams in the current pecking order.
The contrast between the team-mates is stark. While Leclerc has a podium and a string of strong points finishes to his name, Hamilton has yet to finish a full-length Grand Prix ahead of him. That gap is unlikely to sit well with a driver of Hamilton’s stature – or with Ferrari’s marketing department, which bet big on the Briton’s blockbuster signing.
Leclerc, for his part, has maintained his usual calm demeanour in front of the media, choosing not to comment on any performance discrepancies within the team. But it’s clear from the results sheet that, so far, he’s been more in sync with the car and the team’s evolving 2025 package.
Underperforming car or setup misalignment?
After the Japanese Grand Prix, Hamilton elaborated on the issue that has been plaguing his car.
“We found something on the car that has been underperforming in the last three races,” he revealed. “I really hope I can get better results when it is fixed. I am losing just over a tenth a lap because of the problem we have.
That tenth per lap may not sound significant in isolation, but in a midfield as tight as the 2025’s, it can make the difference between third and seventh. Hamilton’s comments suggest that Ferrari’s engineers have identified a specific problem – possibly mechanical or aerodynamic – that has hampered his performance since the start of the season.
While the Briton is hopeful that the issue will be resolved before the Bahrain Grand Prix, there remains some uncertainty as to whether Ferrari have actually isolated the cause. In a sport where fractions matter, confidence in the machinery is everything. For Hamilton, regaining that trust is essential if he is to mount a meaningful campaign in his first year with the Scuderia.
Vasseur intervenes: Differences in set-up, not hardware
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur was quick to respond to Hamilton’s comments, attempting to quell speculation about internal differences between the drivers. According to Vasseur, the gap between Hamilton and Leclerc is not the result of unequal machinery, but rather a difference in set-up as the team continues to explore the performance limits of the new SF-25.
“We are still exploring the new car and going in different directions to accommodate the drivers,” said Vasseur.
“Bahrain will give very different results – of course we had three days of testing there last month.”
Vasseur’s remarks suggest that Ferrari engineers are using the opening races of the season to evaluate different development routes tailored to each driver’s preferences. With Hamilton still adjusting to Ferrari’s set-up philosophy and team processes, it’s plausible that his side of the garage hasn’t yet found the ideal configuration.
However, if setups are indeed the only difference, it begs the question as to why Hamilton – a seven-time champion renowned for his adaptability – hasn’t found the sweet spot. It could point to deeper integration issues, or perhaps a more complex learning curve than initially anticipated when he made the high-profile switch from Mercedes.
Verstappen stand off with FIA as Dutchman wins in Japan
Bahrain looms large
The next stop on the calendar – the Bahrain Grand Prix – could be a turning point in Hamilton’s Ferrari journey. The team has completed three days of pre-season testing at the Sakhir circuit, giving both drivers plenty of data to work with. If Hamilton’s pace continues to lag behind Leclerc’s in Bahrain, the narrative of equality within Ferrari could intensify.
More importantly, for Hamilton personally, Bahrain is a chance to reset and remind everyone – including himself – why Ferrari brought him in. While patience is often preached in F1, results remain the only currency that matters. With expectations sky high and scrutiny increasing, another race in Leclerc’s shadow could begin to erode Hamilton’s honeymoon with the Scuderia.
But the Briton remains resolute.
“We are working through things. I’m optimistic that we can find more performance. It’s a long season,” he said as he wrapped up his media duties in Japan. That may be true, but with Leclerc already looking like Ferrari’s best hope for silverware in 2025, the clock is ticking for Hamilton to turn things around.
If Ferrari are to be serious title contenders this year, both drivers need to be firing on all cylinders. Hamilton will be determined to ensure that the deficit is no longer on his side of the garage come Bahrain.
Why Colapinto absence in Japan indicated ‘death knell’ for Doohan
MORE F1 NEWS – Italian’s SLAM Hamilton
Hamilton overshadowed at Suzuka as Italians deliver harsh verdict, meanwhile Mercedes successor Antonelli shines as Ferrari falter – Lewis Hamilton arrived in Japan hoping for a turnaround. After an underwhelming start to life in Ferrari red, the seven-time world champion was desperate for a result that would finally give the Tifosi faithful some optimism.
Instead, what followed at Suzuka was another painful reminder of how far the Scuderia still lags behind its rivals. To add insult to injury, Hamilton was given a stinging 5.5 out of 10 rating by Italy’s most respected sports daily, La Gazzetta dello Sport, who saw little to celebrate in the Briton’s lonely seventh place finish – a race in which he watched his former team, Mercedes, surge ahead with renewed vigour…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
Didn’t take long to start blaming everything but him self