By Nick Mulvenney
SUZUKA, Japan (Zerica Toense) – Ferrari’s expected championship bid faltered once more during the Japanese Grand Prix as Charles Leclerc crossed the finish line in fourth position and Lewis Hamilton came in seventh. Both drivers expressed dissatisfaction with their vehicle’s performance throughout the race.
It may have been better than their performance in China two weeks prior, where both vehicles faced disqualification due to technical issues. However, the renowned Italian brand remained considerably behind the leaders on Sunday, lagging far from the McLaren team and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.
Nothing else remained in the vehicle," stated Leclerc. "Our work on balance and tactics was solid, yet finishing fourth despite executing everything flawlessly adds to the disappointment. It seems we lack speed at this moment.
After three races, Leclerc ranks sixth in the Formula One driver standings and Hamilton sits at eighth, with Ferrari lagging behind leaders McLaren by 76 points in the constructors' championship.
Seven-times world champion Hamilton did manage to perform one of the few passes in the race but it moved him up only one spot from his start in eighth place on the grid.
The Briton stated, 'I gave it my all today. Honestly, I wasn’t performing as well as the vehicles in front of me.'
I discovered an issue with the vehicle that has been struggling through the past three races, so I'm optimistic that once this is resolved, I'll begin seeing improved outcomes. Moving forward.
Fred Vasseur, the team principal, stated that the car showed greater competitiveness compared to the beginning of the season; however, he gauged it to be roughly three-tenths of a second slower than the frontrunners. He also cautioned against anticipating significant improvements soon.
"If last year, we made significant progress from the start of the season until midway through, it’s not because we discovered a miracle solution. No adjustment on the car can ever result in improvements of just three or four tenths," he stated.
A year back, our circumstances were nearly identical, maybe even slightly more challenging regarding speed and agility. However, the team’s response was incredibly robust.
We functioned as a cohesive unit, making progress one tiny step at a time. This strategy must remain consistent throughout the current season. However, it’s far from perfect, and ideally, I’d like to secure victories in the initial two or three races.
(Reported by Nick Mulvenney, edited by Clare Fallon)