Just in:Rare Ferrari breakthrough for Lewis Hamilton after SF…read more 

Rare Ferrari breakthrough for Lewis Hamilton after SF…read more 

The Miami Grand Prix proved challenging for Ferrari, but amidst the struggles, Lewis Hamilton offered a rare glimmer of optimism regarding the team’s future performance. While Ferrari’s race strategy came under scrutiny, Hamilton revealed that the team has pinpointed the cause of their recent performance issues and has a plan to resolve them.

Although the weekend was far from ideal, Hamilton emphasized that there’s clarity within the team about where their current weaknesses lie. “We’re not where we want to be. We’re clearly lacking a lot of pace,” he said. “We’ve lost some performance over the past races, and we know where it is. We’re just waiting for a fix to regain some of it.”

Hamilton started 12th on the grid and described the race as difficult from the outset. Despite Ferrari’s lack of overall competitiveness, he found moments of promise during the Grand Prix. One such moment came after he managed to get past Nico Hülkenberg’s Haas, which allowed Hamilton to exploit the car’s improving balance. “Once I got past the Haas, I was feeling really optimistic,” he noted. “The car was coming back alive, and I thought there was potential to catch the guys ahead.”

However, Hamilton’s progress was hampered when he found himself stuck behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc. Running a different strategy and equipped with fresh medium tyres, Hamilton felt he had more pace, yet he was delayed waiting for Ferrari to decide whether to swap the two drivers. The delay cost him crucial time.

Commenting on the situation, former F1 World Champion Jenson Button defended Hamilton’s reaction and criticized Ferrari’s indecision. “He spent just one lap behind his teammate, and even that can ruin the tyres,” Button explained. “The temperature goes up, you lose the best part of the tyre, and you can’t get that back. That kind of decision should be made before the race begins. If someone is on softer tyres, you let them past — no questions.”

Button went further to say that Hamilton shouldn’t have had to ask for the position swap, arguing that it should have been a pre-agreed strategy. The lack of quick thinking from Ferrari’s pit wall ultimately limited Hamilton’s ability to move up the field.

Hamilton acknowledged the tactical missteps but remained measured in his post-race comments. “I was hoping we’d have a safety car, but that never happened,” he said. “Then obviously I lost a lot of time behind Charles and in that moment, for sure, I was like, come on, let’s make a decision really quick. Let’s not waste time.”

He also addressed the criticism he faced for his radio messages during the race, insisting they were more sarcastic than emotional. “I feel people didn’t like certain comments, but it was just sarcasm. People say way worse things than I say,” Hamilton said. “I’m not frustrated now. I just will work internally.”

Despite the setbacks, Hamilton found some encouragement in the performance data and the knowledge that Ferrari understands what needs to change. The team’s focus now is on implementing the necessary updates to regain lost ground in the coming races.

Though Miami highlighted Ferrari’s ongoing struggles, it also marked a rare moment of clarity and unity between driver and team. Hamilton’s insight and experience are proving invaluable as Ferrari works to claw its way back toward the front of the grid.