Lewis Hamilton’s spirits are finally lifted amid frustrating start to the F1 season for Mercedes… as the British star claims the car in Japanese GP practice ‘is the best it has felt this year’

It may have been a day of gray skies and drizzle in Suzuka, but for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes there was finally a ray of sunshine in what has been the bleakest of seasons.

With Hamilton sitting on a paltry eight points after the first three races of the 2024 season and his team already 71 points behind Red Bull in the constructors’ standings after a double DNF two weeks ago in Australia, expectations were not particularly high for the Silver . Arrows heading to Japan.

The test that this famous circuit with its iconic, fast corners brings does not suit their machine. The cynics among us might argue that you’d be hard-pressed to find a circuit that currently does that.

Although Hamilton has won five times around Suzuka – a record only bettered by the great Michael Schumacher – there is only so much even one of the best drivers of this generation can get from a car that he admitted was ‘just two weeks messes with the mind’. past.

Hamilton has cut a frustrated and somewhat bewildered figure at times this season. He looked like someone for whom a new start, which he will have at Ferrari from next season, cannot come soon enough.

The 39-year-old has had a difficult start to what will be his final season at Mercedes

But finally there was a day to brighten the mood and give some hope that this will not be an exhausting swan song for the Briton after all.

“It was a really good session, the best the car has felt this year,” said the 39-year-old, who was fifth fastest on Friday with both he and teammate George Russell finishing fourth, just under half. one second behind pacer Max Verstappen.

‘It felt very positive. I was excited because this is a track where every driver likes to drive and over the last few years we have had a very difficult car and balance to drive here.

“And given the tough last few races we’ve had, a great job has been done and we seem to have come to the ground in a better place, so I haven’t really changed anything.”

The wet weather made Friday’s second training virtually useless. The lack of laps made it virtually impossible to judge whether the signals for the rest of the field are as ominous as they appear at a glance after Verstappen topped the times list.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen led the practice rankings as he looks to secure victory on Sunday

However, it’s fair to say that his rivals will likely be praying for a reliability problem similar to the one that prematurely ended his race in Melbourne to rear its ugly head again if they are to have any chance of knocking the Dutchman off the top to fetch. step off the stage next Sunday.

But the man himself isn’t so sure, despite winning the Japanese Grand Prix by 19 seconds last year.

Verstappen, who is making significant aerodynamic upgrades to his car for the first time this weekend, said: ‘It was a good start for us. The balance wasn’t too far off, but it seems like everyone is a little closer compared to last year. I don’t expect the gaps to be as big as last year.’