In Miami, Ferrari struggled to compete when the pole position for the sprint race was at stake. The Scuderia finished behind McLaren, Mercedes, and Max Verstappen, while Lewis Hamilton had previously triumphed in the shortened race in China. Charles Leclerc clearly identified the problem for Ferrari: ‘We’re lacking speed at the moment.’
Charles Leclerc needed only one word to describe how he felt after the sprint qualification in Miami: “Bad.” The Monegasque driver could not secure higher than a sixth starting position for the shortened race. “The lap was good, but we’re lacking speed at the moment. So that’s quite frustrating.”
The Ferrari driver had claimed the first podium finish for Ferrari this season in Jeddah, but that joy is nowhere to be seen in sun-drenched Miami. Leclerc explains precisely where the SF-25 is falling short on the Florida circuit. “In every corner, really, it’s not like we’re particularly weak in one type of corner. Low speed seems to be our weak point, but that changes from weekend to weekend. Not really great.”
‘Lacking Speed’
Lewis Hamilton, who after the Saudi Arabian GP already indicated that he often struggles with the Ferrari car, agrees with his teammate. “During the first free practice, it went a bit better, the car also drove nicer, but overall we’re lacking speed,” says the world champion. “We need to keep working on that.”
