Miami GP: Lewis Hamilton’s race under the microscope after Martin Brundle’s critical verdict. Ferrari debate intensifies after Miami GP as Lewis Hamilton fails to show expected race pace.

The 2026 Miami Grand Prix has triggered renewed scrutiny around Lewis Hamilton’s early-season form at Ferrari, after Sky Sports analyst Martin Brundle described the seven-time world champion’s performance as “curiously uncompetitive”, even when taking into account the damage sustained during the race.

Lewis Hamilton, who started the race from sixth on the grid, initially looked well placed to capitalise on Ferrari’s strong launch characteristics. However, his race quickly became compromised after contact with Alpine driver Franco Colapinto at Turn 11, which left significant aerodynamic damage on the Ferrari SF-26 and reduced overall downforce for the remainder of the Grand Prix.

Despite the setback, Lewis Hamilton still managed to bring the car home in sixth position, narrowly finishing ahead of Franco Colapinto in what became a closely contested midfield battle.

Martin Brundle questions Lewis Hamilton’s lack of competitiveness

In his post-race analysis for Sky Sports, Martin Brundle highlighted that Lewis Hamilton’s pace appeared unexpectedly subdued, especially considering his experience and the competitive potential of the Ferrari package in Miami.

Brundle noted that even with clear damage to the SF-26, Lewis Hamilton’s inability to make progress through the field raised questions about overall race performance and execution.

He also focused on the wider Ferrari weekend, particularly the contrasting fortunes of Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri during the closing stages of the race.

According to Brundle’s analysis, Oscar Piastri was able to overtake Charles Leclerc for a podium position in the final phase of the race, taking advantage of a late-race opportunity while the Monegasque driver appeared to be managing his pace and tyre condition.

Martin Brundle also explained that Charles Leclerc initially expected to regain the position on the final lap, relying on Ferrari’s straight-line speed advantage. However, the situation quickly unravelled after Charles Leclerc spun, made contact with the barrier, and suffered additional damage to his car.

The situation worsened further when Charles Leclerc received a 20-second penalty for cutting chicanes in a desperate attempt to stay ahead of George Russell and Max Verstappen. As a result, he dropped down the order and was ultimately classified in eighth position after a chaotic final lap sequence.

Brundle summarised Ferrari’s mixed weekend by stating that Charles Leclerc’s result was disappointing given the circumstances, while Lewis Hamilton’s race pace remained unexpectedly low despite the earlier incident, and Franco Colapinto delivered what he described as his most convincing Formula 1 performance to date.

Lewis Hamilton reflects on difficult Miami weekend

Following the race, Lewis Hamilton admitted that the Miami Grand Prix had been a challenging and frustrating experience, particularly given what he described as a promising build-up to the season so far with Ferrari.

The British driver also suggested that the contact with Franco Colapinto effectively left him in “no man’s land”, preventing him from extracting the true performance potential of the Ferrari SF-26.

The seven-time F1 world champion acknowledged the effort put in by the Ferrari team but stressed that the result did not reflect the work behind the scenes. He emphasised that the weekend would not define the team’s trajectory and insisted that Ferrari must continue to build momentum throughout the season.

Looking ahead, the British driver indicated that changes would be made ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, suggesting a revised preparation approach in order to improve race execution and overall competitiveness.

As reported by The Independent, Lewis Hamilton stated that the current preparation methods were not delivering the expected results and confirmed that adjustments would be introduced for the next race weekend.

With Ferrari still searching for consistency and Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton both facing different challenges across race conditions, the Miami Grand Prix has once again highlighted the fine margins defining Formula 1 performance at the front of the field.