Lewis Hamilton heads into the Miami Grand Prix hoping to recreate the momentum he briefly captured throughout System 1’s earlier Dash weekend in Shanghai. His begin to life at Ferrari has lacked consistency, and after a promising flash in China, Hamilton is in dire want of one other efficiency increase to gas optimism in his Scuderia marketing campaign.
Again in Shanghai, the seven-time world champion secured a shock Dash pole and transformed it with a commanding drive, pulling out practically a seven-second hole over the quick 19-lap race. Though the victory doesn’t rely towards official information, it served as a symbolic excessive level, suggesting Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari stint was lastly taking form. But, just a few weeks later, that outcome seems extra like an exception than the start of a turnaround.
The eight factors Lewis Hamilton earned that day nonetheless make up over 1 / 4 of his whole haul up to now in 2025. Since then, his finishes have been underwhelming, with seventh, fifth, and one other seventh place displaying little signal of a breakthrough.
Ferrari could discover some renewed efficiency in Miami by operating the SF-25 decrease to the bottom in the course of the Dash session, a tactic that labored in Shanghai because of the decrease gas hundreds. Nonetheless, in China, that setup method led to extreme plank put on and a post-race disqualification. This time, the staff hopes to keep away from the identical destiny by adjusting the automobile’s experience peak as soon as parc fermé restrictions elevate earlier than qualifying. It’s a glimmer of hope for Hamilton, although Sunday’s race will provide the true benchmark.
Underlying Lewis Hamilton’s struggles is a deeper drawback inside Ferrari’s 2025 marketing campaign — what insiders have described as an “intrinsic” weak point throughout qualifying. A report by AutoRacer revealed that regardless of ending solely 14 factors behind the 2024 constructors’ title, Ferrari’s single-lap tempo continues to be a priority. Final season, they claimed simply 4 pole positions — solely half the tally achieved by McLaren and Pink Bull — and the newest information exhibits the brand new SF-25 hasn’t improved on that entrance.
Ferrari’s qualifying difficulties stem from their lack of ability to maximise efficiency on new tender tyres. The staff trails McLaren by roughly four-tenths of a second in one-lap tempo, and so they additionally lag behind Pink Bull and Mercedes. Even Charles Leclerc, who has tailored much better to the present automobile than Hamilton, has been unable to match the uncooked tempo of the front-runners.
This shortfall turns into much more crucial given how troublesome it has change into to comply with and overtake in fashionable F1 races. Poor grid positions can destroy race prospects — a troubling actuality for Hamilton, whose Saturday performances have slipped in latest seasons. For the reason that starting of 2024, he has been outqualified by his teammates 23 instances in 29 races. Ferrari wanted to offer him a automobile able to hiding that vulnerability, however as a substitute, the SF-25 seems to have highlighted it.
Including complexity to the state of affairs is Lewis Hamilton’s request for setup adjustments that diverge from Charles Leclerc’s preferences. Inside information exhibits Carlos Sainz was inside 0.03% of the Monegasque in qualifying final 12 months, whereas the seven-time System 1 world champion is trailing by a mean of 0.3% — a notable drop. Though it’s nonetheless early to attract last conclusions, the British driver’s himself didn’t sound particularly upbeat after leaving Saudi Arabia.
Nonetheless, the Brit stays dedicated. At a latest sponsor occasion, he reassured followers that he had no intention of giving up, sustaining a fierce work ethic regardless of mounting challenges. His dedication is unquestioned, however Ferrari now finds itself in a troublesome balancing act. With Leclerc seemingly nearer to the optimum setup, and Hamilton pulling in the wrong way, the staff should fastidiously weigh improvement decisions — and hope that their high-profile signing doesn’t fall additional behind.
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