Hamilton Sees Need for Ferrari Upgrades After Miami Qualifying Struggles
In the wake of the Miami Grand Prix qualifying session, Lewis Hamilton has called for significant improvements from Ferrari following their uncompetitive exit in Q2. Despite securing third place in the preceding Sprint race, both Ferrari drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, struggled in the qualifying round, with Leclerc finishing eighth and Hamilton down in twelfth.
Hamilton highlighted the disparity in performance, stating, "We need some upgrades, we need some improvements. We’ve got lots of things that need to be better." His Sprint performance, aided by a strategic early pit stop for slick tires, contrasted sharply with the lack of pace shown in qualifying. "It was a good call in the strategy," Hamilton noted, "but on pure pace, we didn’t have it in the race."
Leclerc echoed Hamilton’s sentiments, indicating that there was no hidden performance left in the car. "I don’t feel it in my heart,” Hamilton responded, emphasizing the competitive gap that remains. He speculated that an earlier tyre choice might have changed his qualifying fate: "If we’d gone out with a new tire, I probably would have been in Q3."
Forecasts for rain on race day could offer some unpredictability in the race. Hamilton remarked, "The car was not good in the wet this morning… If it started dry and then went wet, that could be kind of neat, but you’ve got to be lucky as well."
As the teams prepare for the race, both Ferrari and Hamilton will need to find new solutions to enhance competitiveness on track amidst challenging conditions.
