Lewis Hamilton saved Ferrari in the Miami GP Sprint Race thanks to a strategy that anticipated the moves of their rivals. The Briton, in fact, appeared to be struggling significantly with the intermediate tyres before the pit stop, so much so that he strongly called for a visit to the pits.
The SF-25 was suffering in comparison to the two McLarens and the Mercedes cars. The Maranello car, as already seen in the weekend’s only free practice session, does not pair well with the characteristics of the Miami circuit, and the Saturday mini-race confirmed that.
Lewis Hamilton dictates strategy at Ferrari
Replaying the radio communications between the former Mercedes driver and his race engineer, it’s clear that car number 44 played a role in Ferrari’s decision to switch to soft tyres.
Here’s the team radio before the pit stop:
LH: “Is it too late to go to dry tyres?”
RA: “We’re evaluating”
LH: “I have no grip at all. If we want to go to slicks, we have to do it now”
RA: “Box for medium tyres”
LH: “Not the mediums. Give me the softs”
It seems it was Lewis Hamilton himself who strongly demanded the soft tyres. A decision that proved crucial for the podium the Briton achieved in Miami, and which—without the late Safety Car—might have brought another victory for number 44.
In China, in fact, Ferrari’s new driver had already managed to win the Sprint Race. A result he didn’t manage to repeat in Florida, partly because of an SF-25 with which he still hasn’t fully found his rhythm. Tifosi hope that the podium in Miami’s Saturday mini-race may have helped Lewis Hamilton better understand his car.
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