Max Verstappen has already shown Lewis Hamilton how to take first Ferrari win in Japanese Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton only has to look back to how Max Verstappen won the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix to believe he can claim his first victory as a Ferrari driver at Suzuka in 2026.

Hamilton will travel to Suzuka for the 2026 Japanese GP on March 27-29 hot off the heels of finally taking his first podium for Ferrari in China. The seven-time F1 champion finished third in Shanghai on his 26th outing since joining the Scuderia from Mercedes in the 2025 season.

But while Hamilton finished third in the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix for his first Ferrari rostrum, the 41-year-old hit the chequered flag 25.267 seconds behind the man who replaced him at Mercedes. Andrea Kimi Antonelli won the Chinese GP for his first victory as a Formula 1 star.

So, in search of his first win at Suzuka since 2018 to also pull level with Michael Schumacher as the most successful F1 driver in the history of the Japanese GP with six victories, Red Bull ace Verstappen’s 2025 Japanese GP win should be Hamilton’s biggest source of inspiration.

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Lewis Hamilton should take inspiration from how Max Verstappen won the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix

Verstappen produced one of F1’s all-time great qualifying laps in Japan in 2025 to score pole position against McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri by just 0.012s and 0.044s. Yet it was the four-time champion’s drive to glory in the race that Hamilton should try to repeat.

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Norris and Piastri had a clear car advantage over Verstappen when F1 arrived at Suzuka for the 2025 Japanese GP. The McLaren MCL39 was clearly the fastest car in the field, whereas the Red Bull RB21’s through-corner balance problems were forever frustrating Verstappen.

Yet, helped by Suzuka’s resurfaced first section negating McLaren’s tyre wear advantage in 2025, Verstappen delivered a faultless race to never give Norris (let alone Piastri) a realistic chance to take the lead. Norris’ only opportunity came thanks to McLaren’s faster pit stop.

Verstappen ultimately won the 2025 Japanese GP by only 1.423s to Norris and 2.129s over Piastri, who spent the race glued to his teammate’s gearbox. Hamilton should now look at how Verstappen won at Suzuka last April to believe he can win there for Ferrari this March.

The Ferrari SF-26 will arrive at Suzuka as the second-best car on the grid behind Mercedes’ W17, like the Red Bull RB21 was to the McLaren MCL39 last season. Mercedes have a clear energy management advantage over Ferrari that has paid off the most on longer straights.

But Hamilton and his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc will believe that they can snatch the lead of the Japanese GP as long as they start the race from either of the first three rows at Suzuka. Hamilton overtook three cars at the start in Australia and two in China to even lead.

Antonelli utilised Mercedes’ engine requiring less super clipping to breeze back through for the lead of the Chinese GP on Lap 2. But Hamilton should feel he can repeat his rapid starts at Suzuka and also hold onto the lead to win the Japanese GP for his first victory for Ferrari.