Following a poor Japanese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton was not in the mood to talk.
When asked if he was envious of Ferrari’s remarkable racing performance during the Japanese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton abruptly ended the interview.
The seven-time world champion got out to a quicker start than Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, who shared the British driver’s strategy.
Following an opening lap red light due to a collision between Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon, Mercedes moved both Hamilton and George Russell to the hard tyre for the restart on lap three, having initially started on the medium compound.
Mercedes had intended to make a single stop, but that strategy quickly backfired due to the W15’s lackluster race speed. In fact, Hamilton moved more slowly than Russell did, to the point that he questioned the team about whether or not to let him pass.
Hamilton then complained that his “front right is dead” shortly after being told to “swap positions” with Russell on lap 14.
Mercedes would not make a one-stop work, as Hamilton, agitated, requested the Silver Arrows “change this strategy” as soon as possible.
After switching to a two-stop strategy, Russell and Hamilton ended in a disappointing seventh and ninth place, while Leclerc’s exceptional tyre management and race pace allowed him to make the one-stop work flawlessly.
After Carlos Sainz finished in third place, Hamilton’s 2025 teammate had a great fourth place performance.
Hamilton’s furyÂ
After the race, Hamilton was understandably in no mood to talk, which was another blow for the Brackley-based team.
“It was alright,” Hamilton responded frank to a small group of reporters, including RacingNews365, when they inquired about his feelings regarding the 2024 season’s forth round.
Due to the unexpected outcome, Hamilton is now tenth in the drivers’ championship, and Mercedes is now 86 points behind Ferrari in second place in the constructors’ standings.
Easily the closest rival to Red Bull, Ferrari has advanced its tactics significantly under Frederic Vasseur’s direction.
The 39-year-old Hamilton responded sharply when asked if he was jealous of Ferrari’s good performance, given that he is be relocating to Maranello next year. Hamilton has won 103 races.
“Do you have any better questions?” Hamilton replied and turned to go.
