Lewis Hamilton told his team over the radio that he had “no confidence in the car” after running race simulations in the Ferrari SF‑26 at Suzuka, underlining persistent handling and setup problems that left the seven‑time world champion unsettled heading into the weekend. The 41‑year‑old reported rear “snaps,” persistent oversteer and a lack of confidence on long runs — issues he said were similar to those he experienced at Suzuka last year — and cautioned that Ferrari were “miles and miles away” from the pacesetters under the current regulations.

Practice and qualifying painted a mixed picture that reinforced Hamilton’s concerns. He finished sixth in both FP1 and FP2, with a FP1 lap compromised by two yellow sectors and an FP2 gap of roughly eight tenths to the pace‑setter Oscar Piastri; Ferrari slipped behind McLaren and Mercedes in the timing sheets. In qualifying a glitch‑hit session and a systems issue also compromised Hamilton’s running, as he lost time in the final sector and a snap of oversteer altered the car’s algorithm — costing him about two‑and‑a‑half tenths down the back straight — leaving him 0.789 seconds off pole and starting sixth, his lowest grid spot so far this season (and his best Suzuka qualifying since 2022).

Ferrari have scheduled an overnight deep‑dive using simulator data to search for a better setup and to address the balance, energy deployment and chassis limitations Hamilton highlighted; teams across the paddock planned similar reviews. Hamilton said he had “no clue” how the Japanese Grand Prix would unfold, warned that McLaren’s improving pace is becoming a larger threat, and flagged uncertainty over how much overtaking to expect on Sunday — leaving Ferrari to hope that setup and strategy changes overnight can unlock more performance for the race.

Sources