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 enhance to gasoline 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 brief 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, only some weeks later, that consequence 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 complete haul thus far in 2025. Since then, his finishes have been underwhelming, with seventh, fifth, and one other seventh place exhibiting little signal of a breakthrough.
Ferrari could discover some renewed efficiency in Miami by operating the SF-25 decrease to the bottom through the Dash session, a tactic that labored in Shanghai as a result of decrease gasoline hundreds. Nonetheless, in China, that setup method led to extreme plank put on and a post-race disqualification. This time, the workforce hopes to keep away from the identical destiny by adjusting the automotive’s trip peak as soon as parc fermé restrictions raise earlier than qualifying. It’s a glimmer of hope for Hamilton, although Sunday’s race will supply 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 spot 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 Red Bull — and the most recent knowledge reveals the brand new SF-25 hasn’t improved on that entrance.
Ferrari’s qualifying difficulties stem from their incapability to maximise efficiency on new mushy tyres. The workforce trails McLaren by roughly four-tenths of a second in one-lap tempo, and so they additionally lag behind Crimson Bull and Mercedes. Even Charles Leclerc, who has tailored much better to the present automotive than Hamilton, has been unable to match the uncooked tempo of the front-runners.
This shortfall turns into much more vital given how tough it has turn into to observe 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. Because the starting of 2024, he has been outqualified by his teammates 23 instances in 29 races. Ferrari wanted to present him a automotive 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 modifications that diverge from Charles Leclerc’s preferences. Inside knowledge reveals 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 median of 0.3% — a notable drop. Though it’s nonetheless early to attract remaining 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 tough balancing act. With Leclerc seemingly nearer to the optimum setup, and Hamilton pulling in the other way, the workforce should rigorously weigh growth selections — and hope that their high-profile signing doesn’t fall additional behind.
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