Ferrari struggles in Miami: Fred Vasseur calls it an “extremely difficult” Sunday

The contrast couldn't be more stark. After looking promising all weekend, Ferrari completely fell short in the race in Miami. The result: a 6th-place finish for Lewis Hamilton, an 8th for Charles Leclerc… and a lot of frustration within the Italian team.

Yet the Scuderia had prepared well. Upgrades had been made, a strong pace was evident in practice and the Sprint, and above all, a sharp Charles Leclerc, capable of turning his third-place grid position into the lead right from the first few turns.

In traffic, in the thick of battles with Antonelli and Norris, Ferrari was right in the mix.

But as has often been the case this season, Sunday turned everything upside down.

“This Sunday was shaping up to be extremely difficult,” acknowledged Fred Vasseur. “I think the weekend went pretty well up until the race.”

Hamilton hit early on, Leclerc caught out late in the race

The first blow came immediately: Hamilton lost part of his front wing on the very first lap, in a particularly chaotic pack.

“On the first lap, Lewis lost part of his front wing and the race was almost over.”

On the other side of the garage, Leclerc was still holding his own. Long in the fight for the podium—or even better—he nevertheless saw it all fall apart in the final moments.

While trying to stay in contact with Oscar Piastri, the Monegasque driver made a fatal mistake: a spin, damage, and then a penalty after the finish. Final result: a drop to 8th place.

“Charles, with whom we're battling for third place—we can also look on the bright side: he could have parked the car at Turn 4 [after his spin], but that's tough.”

A way of putting things into perspective… even if the outcome remains bitter.

“Honestly, we didn't have time to discuss it [immediately after the race], but I think he lightly touched the curb. He was trying to stay in contact with Oscar Piastri for the final lap.”

The crux of the matter: the tires

Beyond the incidents, Ferrari points to a more structural problem: tire management.

On the first stint, on the mediums, everything seemed under control. Leclerc was keeping pace with the leaders, able to battle with Antonelli and Norris on a clear track.

But as soon as conditions changed (safety car, the field bunching up, switch to hard tires), the momentum shifted.

“Since the start of the weekend, the main focus has been on tire management and temperature. As soon as we're in a good position, the pace is there. That was true for us, but it was true for everyone: with such a shift in performance, it's pretty easy to get carried away and swing to the other extreme,” says Fred Vasseur.

A two-part race… and a missed opportunity

The Grand Prix was thus split into two very distinct phases, as Vasseur explains.

“It's true that the first stint went very well. Then the safety car came out, everyone bunched up, and at that point, we had to manage our energy. The race unfolded in two phases: first, we had a clear track and a good pace, then, with the safety car's intervention, everyone was able to close the gap and the race became much more difficult.”

A neutralization that reshuffled the deck… and exposed Ferrari's limitations in overall race management.

In the end, Ferrari leaves Miami with its worst result of the season. And above all, with the feeling of having let a real opportunity slip away. Because the pace was there. So was the track position.

But between incidents, strategy, and tire management, everything gradually fell apart. In Miami, Ferrari didn't lack speed. It completely lacked control. It's hard to say which is worse…