High expectations met with a rather underwhelming result. At the end of Q3 in the Miami Grand Prix qualifying session, following a break of over a month in the Formula 1 calendar, little appears to have changed for Ferrari. Much like in Japan, the Scuderia has emerged as the third force on track, struggling to extract the full potential from its package and finishing behind both a resurgent Mercedes—less convincing in the Sprint—and a Red Bull team that has returned to strong form after the break thanks to the meticulous development work carried out by its engineers in Milton Keynes.
This familiar picture for the Italian team comes despite weeks of intense work in Maranello, where efforts were focused on developing the SF-26 across all areas in an attempt to close the gap to direct rivals and inject momentum into the season. For now, however, those efforts have not delivered the desired results, as Ferrari leaves Miami qualifying with limited reasons for celebration.
Solid, but not enough
Charles Leclerc secured third place, while Lewis Hamilton finished fifth. Although the time gaps to rivals were not particularly large, Ferrari was unable to position its cars in places that would inspire strong optimism heading into the race.
Despite the confident tone adopted by team principal Frédéric Vasseur when speaking to Sky Sport F1—refusing to dramatise a result that fell short of expectations—there remains a sense that Saturday’s performance was incomplete. The French manager expressed optimism about Sunday’s race, where victory remains a possibility, and about the short-term future of the team.
“Mercedes was ahead, yesterday McLaren was flying,” Fréd admitted, “and we ended up third. We are still in the phase of understanding the car. Speaking about the engine, I don’t know exactly how far behind we are, but the gap is not only about power. We need to focus on ourselves and develop every area. It’s important to stay at a good level and score points. Winning is possible, and we are stronger in race conditions than in qualifying. We are improving step by step, the road is still long.”
Leclerc left puzzled
Ultimately, the qualifying result in Florida did not live up to the expectations of a team that, after introducing a series of widely discussed upgrades, had aimed to significantly reduce the gap to its rivals and at least secure a spot on the front row.
The outcome was not disastrous, but neither was it easy to accept. Charles Leclerc shared his immediate reaction over team radio, expressing clear disbelief at how the session had unfolded. The exchange took place during the cooldown lap after the chequered flag in Q3, as he returned to the pits around the Hard Rock Stadium.
Bryan: “It’s P3.”
Leclerc: “Damn it… we need to understand what’s going on.”
Ferrari’s qualifying performance in Miami therefore highlights a continued struggle to translate laboratory developments into on-track dominance, leaving the team and Charles Leclerc searching for answers as they remain the third-fastest power on the grid behind Red Bull and Mercedes.
