There wasn’t much to expect from the Miami Grand Prix. Ferrari gave it their all, and the result reflects a car that simply refuses to work properly. We are talking about a seventh place for Charles Leclerc, eighth for Lewis Hamilton. It is time to move on from this Grand Prix, which once again disappointed, while waiting for aerodynamic updates to make the leap in quality.
For now let’s take a detailed look at how events unfolded for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at the Miami International Autodrome in Florida.
In Miami, the rain gives a brief respite. A dry race is expected, although the sky is threatened by dark clouds. Everything is prepared, and the start of the formation lap is awaited. Lewis Hamilton chooses the Hard tires, in an attempt to extend the first stint as much as possible, taking advantage of the early stops of those ahead to run in clean air.
Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, will start on Mediums. Both Ferrari drivers work their tires quite a bit, particularly the Briton. The start is managed without issues. There is some jostling, but the Ferrari cars maintain their positions. On lap three, the Virtual Safety Car is deployed due to a crash by Jack Doohan into the barriers.
On lap five, the restart is authorized after the Alpine is removed by the marshals. Lewis Hamilton makes a strong restart, taking 11th position from Isack Hadjar. Charles Leclerc’s car is also seen struggling with rotation, due to the tires not being fully activated yet. After a couple more laps, the situation improves.
The Maranello engineers work hard to suggest optimal differential settings to improve the car’s rotation. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc raises concerns over vibrations felt at the front end under braking. It is interesting to note how much traction the Monegasque loses to Alex Albon’s Williams ahead of him, although he makes up the gap on straights and under braking.
A train of cars consisting of George Russell, Carlos Sainz, and Alex Albon is found ahead of Charles Leclerc. Additionally, some lift and coast phases are carried out, presumably to save fuel. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton closes in on Esteban Ocon’s Haas and may attempt an overtake. Strategies begin to be discussed. While tire degradation remains as expected, a rain forecast is made for roughly ten laps ahead.
A team radio from Charles Leclerc is broadcast and gives pause for thought: “The only parts of the track where I feel comfortable are turns 4-5-6-7, elsewhere I’m slow…” A clear message from the Monegasque, showing how compromised his car is—so much so that he can’t even close in on the two Williams cars.
Lewis Hamilton experiences a similar situation, fighting the steering wheel and unable to get close to Esteban Ocon’s slipstream. Both Ferrari cars appear notably slow. It should also be noted how both drivers require more input from the pit wall, hoping for helpful guidance to improve the cars’ drivability. After numerous attempts, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion finally overtakes the Haas. A move that took considerable effort. By mid-race, no improvement is recorded in the SF-25s’ pace. Charles Leclerc complains of rear locking in mid-corner, while Lewis Hamilton reports insufficient rotation in the slower corners.
In this context, rising frustration can be sensed in both Ferrari drivers. Numerous questions are put to the pit wall, but answers are often not immediately given. On lap 29, another Virtual Safety Car is activated due to a problem with Oliver Bearman’s car. Lewis Hamilton takes the opportunity to switch to Mediums for his first stop, while his Maranello teammate makes the same decision the following lap, but opts for Hards instead. During his pit stop, however, the virtual safety car is deactivated, preventing him from gaining position on Albon. A situation that raises questions: was it simply bad luck or a call made too late?
After both stops, the Ferrari cars are running in eighth and ninth place respectively. Soon after, the third Virtual Safety Car of the Miami Grand Prix is caused by an engine failure on Gabriel Bortoleto’s car. On the restart, both SF-25 cars show strong form, overtaking Carlos Sainz. A particularly good move comes from the Briton, who, taking advantage of the scrap between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, dives inside and passes the former Ferrari driver.
Now Ferrari holds seventh and eighth positions. At this point, the two Italian cars appear to show decent pace. Moreover, the Monegasque is matched in pace by Lewis Hamilton, who, inexplicably, is not let past by the pit wall. The Briton expresses his frustration over the radio, saying, “this is not good for the team.” Eventually, the Maranello team gives in and the swap is made at turn 17: Lewis takes seventh place. Charles doesn’t complain but does point out that it was a risky move, as Carlos Sainz was very close and could have capitalized. Bozzi calls for maximum effort for the final eight laps.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton chases down Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes with determination, pushing to the limit. However, the task proves difficult. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion is quicker, but the five-second gap seems too much to close. Nonetheless, the Briton steadily closes in, with Charles Leclerc right behind. Just about three seconds from Kimi Antonelli, there is no more pace to get by. As a result, Ferrari decides to return the position to Charles Leclerc, who retakes seventh place with five laps to go. The Monegasque tries to reach the Italian but can’t. In Miami, Ferrari is only the fifth-fastest team, and this result reflects the team’s deep crisis. Updates are urgently needed because results like this are damaging.
— see video above —
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