Miami Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying: Ferrari Struggles Continue
Miami, FL – Charles Leclerc expressed his frustration after qualifying sixth for the sprint race at the 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. Despite entering the weekend with optimism following adjustments to Ferrari’s SF-25, the team was unable to deliver the anticipated pace.
Leclerc’s time placed him over three-tenths of a second off pole position and just 0.017 seconds behind George Russell, who secured fifth on the grid. Early practice sessions suggested potential competitiveness, with Leclerc finishing second in free practice; however, results in qualifying revealed a lack of performance across the board.
"I’ll try my best tomorrow to do something special with the start, but to be honest, there’s not much room for improvement today," Leclerc lamented. "It’s just… that’s the pace of the car. The slow-speed corners are particularly challenging, but it varies from weekend to weekend."
Teammate Lewis Hamilton echoed similar sentiments, observing that the car had performed better during practice. "It was a better session, but we’re just lacking speed," he noted. "There’s definitely learnings to take from today, set-up changes we made, and how the car behaved."
As the teams prepare for the race, Ferrari finds itself needing to address its performance deficits. With both drivers acknowledging the need for improvement, the upcoming race will be critical for the Scuderia to regain momentum in 2023.
Key Statistics:
- Qualifying Position: Charles Leclerc – 6th, Lewis Hamilton – 7th
- Gap to Pole: 0.3 seconds
- Leclerc’s Comments: "It’s bad… the pace is just not at all there for now."
- Hamilton’s Take: "All the cars ahead are faster."
As the Miami Grand Prix weekend progresses, the pressure mounts on Ferrari to capitalize on their experience and rectify the issues hindering their performance.
