Ferrari’s ongoing struggles with energy management and power delivery have once again come under scrutiny after Lewis Hamilton reported repeated performance limitations during the Miami Grand Prix, with concerns echoing issues first raised several weeks earlier at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Despite having a five-week gap between races to analyse data and implement improvements, Ferrari appeared unable to fully resolve the underlying problem, as Lewis Hamilton was once again left frustrated by inconsistent electrical deployment and perceived loss of power during key phases of the race weekend.
Lewis Hamilton ultimately finished seventh on the road in Sunday’s race after spending much of the event caught between the leading group and the midfield runners. His race was further complicated by floor damage sustained during a first-lap incident involving Franco Colapinto, which significantly affected overall performance and aerodynamic efficiency.
Following post-race penalties applied to Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc—who had crossed the line in a damaged car after hitting the barriers on the final lap and was later demoted due to multiple track limit infringements without sufficient justification—Lewis Hamilton was promoted to sixth place in the final classification.
Recurring Energy Deployment Issues for Lewis Hamilton Across Multiple Grands Prix
The concerns voiced by Lewis Hamilton in Miami closely mirrored those he expressed at the Japanese Grand Prix in late March, where he repeatedly highlighted a lack of usable power. The issue was not primarily linked to the internal combustion engine, but rather to the hybrid system, particularly the battery deployment and energy recovery phases.
At Suzuka, Lewis Hamilton reported difficulty accessing the full electrical energy available in the Ferrari package during wheel-to-wheel battles. A similar pattern emerged in Miami, where he communicated multiple times with race engineer Carlo Santi regarding inconsistent power delivery.
According to race communications, the Briton raised concerns on several occasions throughout the Grand Prix weekend, including during the early safety car restart phase. He indicated moments of severely reduced electrical assistance and described significant energy de-rating, suggesting that the system was not delivering consistent performance when needed most.
While Ferrari has not publicly detailed the exact technical cause, the situation strongly indicates that the team—particularly on Lewis Hamilton’s side of the garage—is still working to optimise energy harvesting, deployment strategies, or potentially both. This includes managing how effectively the car recuperates energy under braking and how it is released during acceleration phases.
Given that both Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari are still adapting to evolving technical frameworks and operational procedures, some level of adjustment is expected. However, the apparent lack of measurable progress between Japan and Miami has raised internal concerns about development efficiency and correlation between simulation and track performance.
Thermal Management and Lift-and-Coast Strategies Return for Ferrari in Miami
In addition to energy deployment difficulties, Lewis Hamilton also faced significant overheating challenges throughout the Miami weekend, both during the Sprint session and the main Grand Prix.
Even though cooler ambient conditions were present on race day compared to earlier sessions, Ferrari still required the seven-time F1 world champion to adopt lift-and-coast techniques in the closing stages of the race in order to manage critical temperature levels within the car.
Race engineer Carlo Santi instructed Lewis Hamilton to reduce thermal load by initiating lift-and-coast procedures well before braking zones, while also advising him to avoid running below third gear between Turns 12 and 16 in order to stabilise internal temperatures and protect key components.
These instructions reflect a broader operational challenge that Ferrari has faced intermittently, where thermal efficiency and aerodynamic heat management require drivers to compromise lap time in order to ensure reliability to the finish.
Ferrari reportedly reduced the severity of lift-and-coast requirements as the race progressed, but the recurring nature of the issue suggests that a more permanent technical solution will be required to prevent similar situations during the hotter stages of the season.
With the Formula 1 calendar moving towards more demanding summer conditions, Ferrari will need to address both energy deployment inconsistency and thermal management limitations if the team is to provide Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc with a consistently competitive package capable of fighting at the front.
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