Hamilton wants Mercedes to close the performance gap to Red Bull

The British driver was over a second slower than Max Verstappen, who impressed the field with over half a second lead, with his pole lap at the Suzuka circuit.

Lewis Hamilton was not satisfied with the setup of his car after Friday’s practice sessions, but Mercedes worked on his car overnight to find solutions to his lack of pace.

The W14 appeared more comfortable during the last free practice session and the qualifying, but Hamilton still hasn’t been able to compete with the Ferraris and McLarens for the title of best among the others.

Hamilton indicated that « yesterday was a terrible day, but I made some good changes overnight and the car felt really good today, so I was much happier. Unfortunately, we are not fast enough. We need to keep working. ».

Hamilton: « We still have a long way to go »

The seven-time world champion warned Mercedes that their lack of pace compared to Red Bull is a worrying sign for next season, as they seek to close the gap with their main rivals for the title.

« We are lacking rear support, which is why we are so slow in the first sector. But the laps have been very good, there is only one second of difference, it’s crazy », he declared.

« Reduce this gap for next year and, at this stage, still be a second behind like this, it’s really worrying for us as a team. »

When asked if he expects a tough race for the tires, Hamilton adds: (e) We will fight like everyone else with tire degradation. It’s going to be tough tomorrow.