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 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 almost a seven-second hole over the quick 19-lap race. Though the victory doesn’t depend towards official data, it served as a symbolic excessive level, suggesting Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari stint was lastly taking form. But, only some weeks later, that end result 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 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 as a result of decrease gas masses. Nevertheless, in China, that setup strategy 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 automobile’s journey top 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 downside 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 Crimson 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 lack of ability to maximise efficiency on new delicate 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 automobile than Hamilton, has been unable to match the uncooked tempo of the front-runners.
This shortfall turns into much more vital given how troublesome it has develop 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 current seasons. For the reason that starting of 2024, he has been outqualified by his teammates 23 instances in 29 races. Ferrari wanted to provide him a automobile able to hiding that vulnerability, however as a substitute, the SF-25 seems to have highlighted it.
Including complexity to the scenario is Lewis Hamilton’s request for setup modifications that diverge from Charles Leclerc’s preferences. Inner knowledge reveals Carlos Sainz was inside 0.03% of the Monegasque in qualifying final yr, 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 ultimate conclusions, the British driver’s himself didn’t sound particularly upbeat after leaving Saudi Arabia.
Nonetheless, the Brit stays dedicated. At a current sponsor occasion, he reassured followers that he had no intention of giving up, sustaining a fierce work ethic regardless of mounting challenges. His willpower 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 other way, the workforce should fastidiously weigh growth decisions — and hope that their high-profile signing doesn’t fall additional behind.
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