The 2026 Formula 1 race weekend left a bittersweet taste for Lewis Hamilton after missing out on a podium finish due to crucial car balance limitations in the early stages. While his Scuderia Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, successfully charged from fourth on the grid to claim second place, the seven-time world champion had to settle for fourth behind Max Verstappen.
The root cause of the British driver's struggles traced back to a compromised setup direction during Friday practice. Hamilton admitted that he went the wrong way with the car's setup during the second practice session, which severely hindered the car's turn-in responsiveness once the Grand Prix got underway.
"In the first two segments of my race I wasn't fast enough, that cost me a podium. The car just wouldn't turn in willingly the way I need my car to," Hamilton explained regarding the technical hurdles he faced on track.
Throughout the race, the engineering crew had to perform extensive front wing adjustments during every single pit stop. A total of twelve clicks of correction were applied in an effort to combat severe understeer that allowed his rivals to pull away during the opening phase of the grand prix.
"I corrected the car at every tire change on the wing, at the end with a total of twelve clicks, that is enormous. Perhaps it would have gone better today if I had had better preparation in free practice," he noted.
Toward the end of the race, the pace of his Ferrari finally improved significantly once the handling window was unlocked. Unfortunately, the intervention of a Virtual Safety Car phase ruined his momentum and dashed any realistic chance of launching a late attack for a thrilling podium duel against Verstappen.
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