Former Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve believes Ferrari is aware of their challenges after a difficult start to the 2025 season.
Lewis Hamilton, in his first season with Ferrari after moving from Mercedes, where he secured seven world championships, qualified eighth for the Japanese Grand Prix. His teammate Charles Leclerc finished fourth in qualifying, following a double disqualification for the team at the previous Chinese Grand Prix.
A sprint race victory in China remains the highlight for Hamilton at Ferrari thus far. In the Australian Grand Prix season opener, both Hamilton and Leclerc finished outside the points, placing 10th and eighth respectively.
Villeneuve, speaking to media, suggested that Ferrari recognizes their current difficulties but may be struggling to find solutions, particularly as their competitors continue to improve.
Hamilton expressed his dissatisfaction with his qualifying performance, stating it was `not good enough` as he finished more than six tenths behind pole position.
Red Bull`s Max Verstappen secured pole position, outperforming McLaren`s Lando Norris, who currently leads the championship.
Concerns over excessive skid-block wear led to Hamilton`s disqualification in China. This issue might be influencing Ferrari`s decision to run their cars with a higher ride height in Japan.
Hamilton commented that the team is running with a higher car setup than ideally preferred, a situation affecting all teams. He also mentioned struggling with understeer during the qualifying session.
Leclerc acknowledged that Ferrari`s issues extend beyond ride height adjustments. He admitted to a performance gap compared to McLaren and Red Bull. Despite this, Leclerc noted personal progress, mentioning improvements in his driving style and increased comfort with the car, though the gap to leading teams remains a key focus for Ferrari.
Marcus Prine