Hamilton optimistic for Ferrari rebound after challenging start in Japan

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Suzuka, Japan – After a challenging race weekend in Japan, Lewis Hamilton remains resolute and hopeful about Ferrari's potential for improvement as the Formula One season progresses. Despite a rough start in his Ferrari career, Hamilton is determined to bridge the performance gap and is aiming for an upswing in Bahrain.

Hamilton's early races have been a mixed bag, marred by a 10th place finish in Australia, a triumphant sprint race victory in China, an unfortunate disqualification from the Chinese Grand Prix, and concluding with a 7th place finish at Suzuka. Ferrari currently finds itself trailing behind the formidable McLarens, with a time deficit estimated between 0.3 and 0.4 seconds per lap. However, Hamilton noted that an issue specific to his car has been hampering his performance.

"I'm really hoping in the next race we'll see some positive changes," Hamilton shared post-race in Japan. He candidly discussed a technical issue on his side of the garage: "I'm losing just over a tenth a lap with the issue we have. I'm hoping at the next race it's fixed."

In Japan, Hamilton's teammate Charles Leclerc secured a fourth-place finish, with Mercedes drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli splitting the Ferraris. Hamilton commended the effort under the circumstances, stating, "Considering what I said, it was maximum today. I didn't have anything else in the car. Performance is missing at the rear of the car this weekend."

Qualifying position proved pivotal, as Hamilton foresaw potential overtakes from rivals if he had started further ahead. "And I'm hoping the next race could be, somehow... we can get a bit closer," he added optimistically.

Hamilton admitted that significant work lies ahead for Ferrari to challenge the front row competitors. "We will slowly progress the car," he declared. "It will be interesting to see when people get upgrades over the season. We've got a lot of work to do to be able to close the gap into the top cars, the top guys, they've probably got three or four tenths on us."

Ferrari's growth strategy, as outlined by team principal Fred Vasseur, focuses on cumulative gains rather than an elusive quick fix. "If last year, we did a good step forward from the beginning of the season to mid-season, it's not that we found a magic bullet," Vasseur emphasized. "We worked as a team. We made small step by small step and we have to keep exactly the same approach this season."

Leclerc found value in the Japanese Grand Prix despite the setbacks, using the race as a learning curve. "I think I learned plenty about the car this weekend," he noted. "Friday [practice] I think was a really, really good day for that. I wanted to try it and it worked out, so I was really happy with that."

As Ferrari gears up for Bahrain, both drivers and team remain focused on refining the car and inching closer to their competitors. Hamilton's optimism and Ferrari's ethos of steady progress could very well chart the course for a memorable season rebound.

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