George Russell, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton all appeared below their usual standards, with the three British drivers disappointing in direct comparison with their respective teammates during the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
Norris, Russell and Hamilton outperformed by their teammates
The impression that the 2026 Formula 1 season would be one in which the car plays a decisive role in determining race results was partially challenged by what unfolded at Suzuka. Leaving aside Red Bull, currently dealing with a significant technical crisis highlighted by the struggles of a driver of Max Verstappen’s caliber, the other three top teams — Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren — all demonstrated strong overall performance by bringing competitive cars to the finish.
However, the gap in performance between teammates within each of these teams was striking. This is particularly unusual, especially given that it happened simultaneously across all three garages and at a circuit like Suzuka, where driver skill traditionally plays a crucial role.
Russell vs Antonelli: the experienced driver beaten by youth
Starting with the most eye-catching comparison, George Russell faced off against Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who arrived at Suzuka with a bold “wolf-themed” suit design. The Italian secured pole position on Saturday, outpacing his British teammate by three tenths, with Russell still managing to qualify second.
In the race, Russell made a much stronger start, while Antonelli once again struggled off the line, losing positions due to wheelspin. However, the timing of the Safety Car — deployed shortly after Russell’s pit stop — significantly worked against him, while Antonelli benefited by making his stop under neutralized conditions.
Even so, after the restart, Russell struggled to match Antonelli’s pace on hard tyres, while the Italian quickly pulled away. Russell also encountered major difficulties when battling the Ferrari cars, eventually finishing fourth behind a superb Charles Leclerc, who even overtook him decisively around the outside of Turn 1.
With this disappointing fourth-place finish, Russell lost the lead of the drivers’ championship to Antonelli, despite driving what has so far been the benchmark car of the season. This situation could also have psychological implications, an area where Russell has already shown signs of vulnerability through tense team radio messages and visibly frustrated media appearances. Overcoming these challenges quickly will be essential if he is to remain a serious contender in the title fight.
Norris vs Piastri: first podium for Oscar
In the first race of the season that Oscar Piastri was able to start, the Australian immediately managed to outperform his teammate Lando Norris, the reigning world champion. In qualifying, Piastri secured third place, beating Norris by nearly three tenths, with the Brit only managing fifth on the grid.
At the start, Piastri launched brilliantly to take the lead of the group, and there remains a strong possibility that, without the intervention of the Safety Car — which also compromised his race — he could have gone on to secure victory, given the authority he was showing at the front.
Both McLaren drivers were affected by the Safety Car period following their pit stops, but the final outcome after the restart was clear. Norris finished fifth, ten seconds behind Piastri over the final 25 laps, while the Australian’s second-place finish delivered McLaren its first positive result of the season.
Given Norris’s status as world champion and his experience of more than 150 Grands Prix, a stronger performance might reasonably have been expected. McLaren, partly thanks to its Mercedes power unit, could emerge as a contender in the championship battle, but if Norris wants to defend his title, he will need to quickly rediscover the pace he showed last season.
Hamilton vs Leclerc: even the Safety Car could not save Lewis
Lewis Hamilton began his Suzuka weekend in a relatively solid manner, despite expressing a lack of confidence with the Ferrari SF-26. He remained close to Charles Leclerc in qualifying, finishing sixth less than two tenths behind the Monegasque, who took fourth place despite admitting he had not put together a clean lap.
In the race, unlike his fellow British drivers Norris and Russell, Hamilton benefited from a strategic opportunity similar to Antonelli’s, thanks to a clever and fortunate decision to delay his pit stop and take advantage of the Safety Car period.
Restarting in fourth place, Lewis Hamilton quickly moved up to third within a few laps. However, he soon came under pressure from Leclerc, leading to another intense on-track battle between the two Ferrari drivers.
Charles Leclerc, increasingly frustrated over team radio by the time he was losing behind Lewis Hamilton, made a decisive move around the outside of Turn 1 on lap 42 to reclaim the position and secure a well-earned podium finish.
Lewis Hamilton, despite having fresher tyres than his teammate, ultimately finished only sixth, ten seconds behind Leclerc over the final 11 laps, and was also overtaken by both Russell and Norris. It was an overall disappointing performance for the seven-time world champion, who at the end of the race pointed to a lack of engine power compared to the Mercedes cars — the same engine, however, that was powering Leclerc’s Ferrari.
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