Lewis Hamilton’s previous driving pleasure in Australia and China came to an abrupt end in Japan. The Ferrari driver finished no higher than sixth place, experiencing another race weekend without a trip to the podium. However, the seven-time world champion is still faced with a mystery as to how he suddenly ended up without power during the race: ‘I’m at full throttle, driving where I need to drive and for some reason I just have too little power’.
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Two weeks after his first podium finish for Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton finished far from the podium again in Japan with his sixth place. While teammate Charles Leclerc was able to receive a trophy with winner Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc, the world champion could not keep George Russell and Lando Norris behind him in the final stages.
NOW ONLINE: 40 pages Race Special GP Japan: our online magazine with current events, reactions, analysis and interview!
Hamilton is disappointed after the race about his Grand Prix weekend at Suzuka. “In the end it was quite terrible, because I was in P3 and eventually fell back. I just have to figure out where I lost everything,” he tells Sky Sports F1. “There was really a lack of power, especially in the second stint, but even in the beginning I couldn’t keep up with the others, purely due to a lack of power. I don’t understand this. I’m at full throttle, driving where I need to drive and for some reason I just have too little power, so I have to figure out if there’s something wrong with the car or not. Still, we got some points.”
Read more PREMIUM: Race Special GP Japan
Bad luck with the safety car
Teammate Charles Leclerc was allowed on the podium after the race, but more than a third place was not in the cards for the Monegasque. “Maybe a second place could have been possible, but we really got everything out of the car,” said the Ferrari driver. “We had bad luck with the safety car, Oscar had a bit more clean air and maybe he was a bit better with his tires. I had to go flat out immediately, which made it a challenge. I don’t have many regrets about today, it was a good race anyway. Are we as fast as the Mercedes? I don’t think so. They still have a big lead. It’s up to us to try and change that situation.”
NOW ONLINE: 40 pages Race Special GP Japan: our online magazine with current events, reactions, analysis and interview!
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