Scuderia Ferrari HP departed the Miami Grand Prix with a modest haul of 16 points, but the outcome left the team searching for answers rather than celebrating progress. Despite strong hopes going into the weekend, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton crossed the line in seventh and eighth respectively, trapped for much of the race in the DRS train that defined the midfield battle under the Florida sun.
Rain had been anticipated but never arrived, leaving overtaking opportunities limited. Both drivers battled through traffic for most of the 57 laps, with strategy calls and timing proving crucial but ultimately insufficient to break into the lead fight.
Leclerc started the race on Mediums from P8, while Hamilton opted for the Hard compound from P12. The seven-time World Champion made early gains, climbing into the points by lap 22. Leclerc, meanwhile, remained bottled up in traffic, struggling to extract performance in turbulent air.
When the Virtual Safety Car was deployed following Oliver Bearmanās retirement, Ferrari executed a double stop strategyāHamilton pitted first on lap 28, capitalizing on the slowed pace, while Leclerc followed a lap later, losing slightly more time. The reshuffle placed both Ferraris in the thick of the action, running eighth and ninth.
The key moment came on lap 34, when Leclerc overtook Carlos Sainz. As Sainz ran wide, Hamilton seized the chance to slip through as well. From there, Ferrari attempted a late-race charge on Mercedesā rising star Kimi Antonelli. The team even switched driver positions twice in pursuit of better pace, but the push proved fruitless. The red cars finished line astern: Leclerc P7, Hamilton P8.
Charles Leclerc: āWeāve made progress, but not this weekendā
After a string of encouraging performances in recent races, Leclerc admitted Miami was a step backward.
āI didnāt have the same feeling in the car this weekend,ā he said. āIn the first stint, we lacked pace. Later I was stuck in dirty air, and while I pushed at the end, it just wasnāt enough. We need to understand what changed.ā
Despite the setback, Leclerc reaffirmed his commitment to helping the team move forward, calling for collective effort as the European season approaches.
Lewis Hamilton: āEncouraged, but not satisfiedā
For Hamilton, P8 wasnāt a headline result, but he saw the weekend as another step toward finding harmony with his new machinery.
āIām starting to feel more at one with the car, which is encouraging,ā Hamilton said. āWeāre still lacking pace, but the effort behind the scenes is massive. Iām staying focused and motivatedāweāll keep pushing.ā
Fred Vasseur Team Principal Scuderia Ferrari HP :
āFrustrating, but there are positivesā
Team Principal Fred Vasseur was frank in his post-race assessment, citing qualifying and traffic management as key shortcomings.
āWe didnāt get the balance right, especially on Saturday,ā he explained. āIn clean air, our pace was comparable to Mercedes and Red Bull. But in the midfield, overtaking was nearly impossible.ā
On the strategy front, Vasseur defended the teamās calls, particularly the decision to swap drivers mid-race.
āWe swapped positions when we were confident Charles wouldnāt be under threat from behind. We were trying to catch Antonelli with Lewis on Mediums. It didnāt pay off, so we reversed it laterāstandard procedure for us.ā
Looking Ahead: Europe Beckons
With six rounds completed across three continents, Formula 1 now returns to its European heartland. The next stop is Imola for the Made in Italy e dellāEmilia-Romagna Grand Prixāan event Ferrari fans always circle on the calendar. For Scuderia Ferrari HP, itās not just another race. Itās a chance for redemption, recalibration, and perhaps, resurgence.
