The high expectations ahead of the weekend were met with a disappointing result for Ferrari. At the end of the Miami Grand Prix, after more than a month-long break during which Formula 1 was effectively on pause, nothing appears to have changed for the Scuderia. At least for now, Ferrari once again looked like the third force on track, just as it had in Japan, struggling to extract the full potential from its package and finishing behind a dominant Mercedes and a revitalised McLaren, which has returned to the form shown in 2025 following the introduction of recent upgrades.
In short, the situation for the Prancing Horse remains unchanged compared to the period before the break, despite intensive development work in Italy on the SF-26 with the aim of closing the gap to its rivals. That effort, at least for the moment, has not delivered the expected results. Looking at the Miami scoreline, Ferrari has few reasons to celebrate and plenty of aspects to reflect on as the championship heads towards Canada.
Much work still ahead
Charles Leclerc finished the race in sixth place, while Lewis Hamilton crossed the line in seventh, both drivers losing significant time to their rivals. As a result, Ferrari was unable to place its cars in a truly competitive position, making it difficult to feel confident about the progress made through development or the trajectory of the season so far, despite the optimism expressed by team principal Frédéric Vasseur.
“We are in the phase of understanding the car,” said Fred Vasseur. “Speaking about the engine, I don’t know how much we are behind, but the gap is not only about power. We need to develop every area. It is good to always stay at a good level and score points. We are growing step by step, the road is long.”
A certain sense of frustration therefore accompanies Ferrari as it leaves the Miami weekend behind, especially considering the chaotic final stages of the race in which Charles Leclerc lost a potential podium finish.
Leclerc, silent disappointment
With just two laps remaining, the Monegasque driver was running in third place when he came under attack from Oscar Piastri’s McLaren. At that moment, while attempting to defend his position, car number 16 adopted a rather unusual approach to the situation, both in terms of not using the X mode while defending against Piastri and then losing control of the car during the final lap (with a light impact against the barrier), which left him struggling heavily in the closing stages.
Charles Leclerc’s pace dropped significantly, and he was subsequently overtaken by both Russell’s Mercedes and Antonelli’s Red Bull, with both drivers capitalising on his difficulty in keeping the car on track. It was a very unusual issue (which, according to some of our sources, could be linked to the hydraulic system of the Ferrari, although this remains unconfirmed and must be treated as speculation).
The Monegasque took responsibility for the situation, but neither the team nor the driver addressed the matter immediately after the race. On the cool-down lap after the chequered flag, Charles Leclerc did not speak on the radio to comment on what had happened, just as no one from the pit wall opened communication with the Ferrari driver, not even for a routine or formal message.
Was it simply disappointment, or a silence meant to avoid revealing the real cause behind a dramatic and costly ending to the race?
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