Ferrari’s Miami Gamble Fails to Pay Off as Late Drama and Damage Derail Upgrades

Despite arriving in Florida with the most significant technical package on the grid, Scuderia Ferrari endured a frustrating Miami Grand Prix that Team Principal Fred Vasseur described as a “mega tough Sunday.” The weekend, which began with high hopes and a podium in the Sprint, ended with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc classified in sixth and eighth positions respectively.

Ferrari’s aggressive approach saw eleven new components fitted to the SF-26, and the early signs were promising. Charles Leclerc secured a front-row start and briefly seized the lead during the opening lap after capitalizing on a skirmish between the front-runners. However, as the race progressed, the Scuderia struggled to maintain their pace against the front-running Mercedes and McLaren cars.

The afternoon took a turn for the worse during a chaotic final lap. While Leclerc was locked in a fierce battle with Oscar Piastri for the final podium spot, the Monegasque driver lost control at Turn 3, spinning into the barriers. Although he managed to limp across the line in sixth, race stewards handed him a 20-second penalty for his involvement in the late-race incidents, demoting him to eighth.

On the other side of the garage, Lewis Hamilton’s race was compromised almost immediately. A first-lap collision with Franco Colapinto left the seven-time champion with significant damage to his car’s floor and right sidepod. The loss of aerodynamic downforce forced Hamilton into a defensive race, characterized by heavy tire management and “lift and coast” tactics just to ensure he reached the finish line. He was eventually promoted to sixth following his teammate’s penalty.

Reflecting on the performance, Vasseur noted that while the upgrades performed as expected in qualifying and the Sprint, the main race exposed a critical weakness in tire management. The SF-26 appeared highly sensitive to the soaring track temperatures in Miami; while the car showed competitive pace in clean air during the first stint, it struggled with overheating and consistency once mired in traffic after a mid-race Safety Car. Vasseur concluded that while the team can take positives from their strong qualifying form, the focus must now shift to unlocking the car’s potential over a full race distance as the paddock heads to Montreal.