Lewis Hamilton demands inquest with F1 star confused after Japanese Grand Prix

TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The race at Suzuka featured three constructors battling for supremacy, with McLaren returning to competitiveness following their double failure to start in China.Unlike his impressive getaways in Australia and China, Hamilton managed only a single position gain at the start, benefiting alongside four other drivers from pole-sitter Antonelli's sluggish launch.The Mercedes youngster swiftly reclaimed ground, however, passing Hamilton at Turn 1 on lap two.Hamilton found himself running sixth during the opening stint before climbing to second when rivals ahead made their pit stops.A Safety Car deployment following Oliver Bearman's severe 50G impact handed Hamilton a fortuitous free tyre change, and he emerged third after dispatching Russell at the restart.Hamilton expressed bewilderment at his power struggles throughout the grand prix.LATEST SPORTS NEWS:Kimi Antonelli reveals fury after winning Japanese Grand PrixEFL clash delayed as drone flies above stadium forcing players to leave pitch and referee to halt matchFans outraged over 'unwatchable' World Cup warm-up between USA and Belgium as both teams wear whiteI just struggled with power in the race. Some reason I was just down, he stated. I was in a defense. I was defending the whole time. The guys all around me, just seemed to have more power today.The 41-year-old demanded clarity on whether his engine was underperforming: So I need to try and understand why that is the case, whether my engine was down or what. I need to understand that.Particularly puzzling for Hamilton was the disparity with his teammate: Somehow, Charles had more power than me today, in the same car. So I need to understand why that is.The result marked a stark contrast to Hamilton's previous outing in China, where he secured his first podium wearing Ferrari red.When asked whether Japan represented his most difficult weekend of the 2026 campaign, Hamilton reflected: I love being in Japan, I've generally enjoyed driving.It's just, as I said, I just really got trying to understand.He elaborated on his frustration: I had a really good stint of managing the tyres and then just didn't have the pace to just keep up. And it's never fun when you're just barely holding onto a pack.Even fresh rubber failed to resolve his difficulties, leaving the veteran thoroughly perplexed.Hamilton now sits 31 points adrift of Antonelli, Formula One's youngest-ever championship leader. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter