Ferrari Under Fire After Hamilton-Leclerc Tension and Disappointing Miami GP Performance
Ferrari found themselves in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, as visible tension between teammates Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc added to a weekend of sub-par performance.
Both drivers spent most of the race locked in battles with the Williams duo—an alarming sign of how far the Maranello-based team has fallen since the start of the season. Their inability to compete with front-running teams like McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes has left them languishing in fourth place in the constructors’ standings.
The Miami Grand Prix marked the first time this season that neither Ferrari driver finished in the top six during a Grand Prix session not marred by penalties or disqualifications. While both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified in China after an initial points finish, this time the result came down to raw pace—or lack thereof.
To add to Ferrari’s troubles, intra-team friction surfaced once again. During the race, Hamilton and Leclerc squabbled over position, swapping places multiple times before Leclerc ultimately pulled ahead. This disagreement played out over team radio, further highlighting Ferrari’s growing communication issues.
Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz suggested that Hamilton may already regret some of his public criticism of the team, considering he is only six races into his debut season with the Scuderia. While it’s normal for new partnerships to face early hurdles, Ferrari’s technical issues are making those teething problems harder to manage.
Crucially, Ferrari have delayed bringing major updates to the SF-25 until they can solve Hamilton’s ongoing tyre management struggles, which have hampered his performance since the season began.
Steiner Urges Ferrari to Shift Approach After Hamilton’s Frustration in Miami
Lewis Hamilton left the Miami weekend visibly frustrated, particularly with his continued inability to manage tyre degradation effectively at Ferrari. Although he ran the faster medium compound tyres during his final stint—while the Monegasque driver was on hards—he was still unable to make a decisive overtake. His calls for team orders to swap positions were ultimately denied, and his pace dropped off, nearly allowing Carlos Sainz in a Williams to pass him by the chequered flag.
Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has since weighed in on Ferrari’s handling of the situation. Steiner advised that rather than relying on team-ordered swaps, Ferrari should simply tell Hamilton to make the move himself if he believes he is faster. In Steiner’s view, direct action would avoid unnecessary radio disputes and show more trust in the drivers’ judgment.
He observed that watching two Ferrari drivers battle midfield contenders like Williams was undoubtedly frustrating for the team and far below their aspirations. According to Steiner, the internal fighting only escalates the tension, especially when it’s unclear whether one driver genuinely holds a performance advantage—something that can depend heavily on tyre strategy and timing.
Ferrari Still Have Time to Turn Their Season Around—But the Clock is Ticking
Despite their rocky start, Ferrari still have 75% of the 2025 Formula 1 season ahead of them. The upcoming European rounds, starting with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the Imola circuit, could provide opportunities to recover ground. The Maranello team is expected to introduce further upgrades to the SF-25 single-seater that may help close the performance gap.
However, the real question is whether Ferrari’s rivals will also improve at the same rate—or faster. If they do, the team might be forced to shift focus to 2026 and begin redirecting resources to their next-generation car. With new rules and regulations looming and only one more guaranteed year with Hamilton, the Italian side must make a strategic decision: go all-in on salvaging this campaign or cut their losses and build for the future.
Should they fail to capitalize on the present, this era may go down as yet another chapter of near-misses—where Ferrari came close to returning to glory, but ultimately fell short of delivering a championship breakthrough.
