Ferrari Struggles in Miami Sprint Qualifying: Leclerc and Hamilton Voicing Concerns
Miami, FL — Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton expressed disappointment following a challenging qualifying session for the Miami Grand Prix sprint, held on Saturday at the Miami International Autodrome. Leclerc secured sixth place, while Hamilton followed closely with an uninspired performance, echoing concerns about Ferrari’s performance deficit on the track.
Leclerc’s initial optimism heading into Miami was grounded in promising set-up adjustments to the SF-25, which appeared to enhance the car’s handling. After finishing second in free practice, Leclerc was poised for a strong qualifying performance. However, during the critical SQ3 session, he fell over three-tenths short of pole position and narrowly missed out on a top-five slot to George Russell, who claimed fifth by a mere 0.017 seconds.
Analysis of GPS data indicated that Ferrari demonstrated solid cornering speed but struggled significantly in maintaining traction out of lower-speed corners. "It’s bad," said Leclerc after the session. "The lap was good, but the pace is just not at all there for now… There’s not much room for improvement today; it was just the pace of the car."
Hamilton’s assessment reflected similar frustrations. The seven-time world champion acknowledged an improved feel during the opening practice but was quick to point out the persistent speed deficit in competitive scenarios. "I thought it was a better session… but we’re just lacking speed. There’s definitely work to do to pick up pace going into the rest of the weekend," he stated.
As the race weekend progresses, both drivers will seek to optimize their performance, particularly during the start of the sprint race. Ferrari’s capacity to adapt and extract maximum performance from the SF-25 remains critical as the team faces increasing pressure from rival constructors.
Key Results from Sprint Qualifying:
- Pole Position: Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- 2nd Place: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- 3rd Place: George Russell (Mercedes)
Teams and drivers will look to capitalize on their findings as attention turns to the main event on Sunday.
