Ferrari blames FOM for distorted team radio in Miami GP, sparking confusion over strategy, team orders and Hamilton’s sarcastic messages.
Team orders are meant to bring clarity, but in Miami, they added to Ferrari’s confusion.
The second half of the Miami Grand Prix turned into an unintended comedy for Ferrari, mostly thanks to some snarky radio exchanges, especially from Lewis Hamilton. The British driver, stuck behind Charles Leclerc, didn’t hold back.
“You want me to let him through as well?” Hamilton quipped over team radio after Carlos Sainz had just given Leclerc his position back. Earlier, he’d joked, “Might as well take a tea break,” in response to being told to let Leclerc pass.
While the fans had a good laugh, the reality was less amusing for Ferrari. On track, they were the fifth-fastest team, trailing even Williams at times.
Team principal Fred Vasseur didn’t sugarcoat the situation after the race.
“We didn’t find the right balance this weekend, especially in qualifying. During the race, we were stuck in the midfield, and realistically, there was no chance to get a better result,” he admitted. “When we had clean air, our pace was close to Red Bull and Mercedes. But of course, there’s frustration. We need to stay focused and keep working to fix our issues one step at a time.”
From a strategy perspective, Vasseur remained positive. The team made the right calls under the Virtual Safety Car, bringing both drivers in, allowing Hamilton to restart right behind Leclerc.
Radio Confusion or Broadcast Drama?
The biggest talking point came late in the race, when Hamilton, on medium tires, was allowed past Leclerc, who was on hards, to chase down Andrea Kimi Antonelli. But when it became clear that Hamilton couldn’t close the gap, Ferrari reversed the order again.
Vasseur defended the timing of the swaps.
“We waited until we were sure Charles wasn’t at risk from cars behind. Lewis was on a different strategy, so we tried to give it a shot. It didn’t work out, so we reversed it, following our usual protocol.”
But Vasseur believes there’s more to the “radio-gate” than meets the ear. According to him, the FOM, the Formula One Management group controlling international broadcasts, may have manipulated how the team radio messages were presented to fans.
“Let’s be clear,” Vasseur said. “It didn’t take long. Maybe a lap and a half. When you have two cars on different strategies, you need to figure out if the pace difference is real or just DRS. That takes some time, around 90 seconds in this case. Then we made the call.”
He insisted the team acted responsibly, even if the swap and subsequent re-swap looked chaotic on TV.
“It’s never easy to ask Charles or Lewis to switch places. But they did it. You don’t see many teams managing this kind of situation cleanly on track.”
Blame the Broadcast Delay?
This isn’t the first time Vasseur has criticized the FOM. After the Chinese GP earlier this year, he also claimed that the way Ferrari’s radio messages were edited misrepresented the team’s decision-making.
“FOM controls the timing of what’s broadcast,” he explained. “Sometimes a message we send is aired a lap later. That changes how everything looks. Meanwhile, we’re also giving drivers tons of instructions about car settings. It’s not always realistic to ask them to execute something right before Turn 11 or 17.”
Despite the public perception, Vasseur believes the team did the right thing.
“Sure, you can argue we should’ve done it half a lap earlier or later, but we followed our policy. The point is not just swapping positions; it’s about understanding whether the car behind is genuinely faster, not just benefiting from DRS.”
He further clarified Ferrari’s internal policy, which some suspect even the drivers aren’t fully aligned with.
“If we ask for a swap, it’s because we believe the second car is faster. If it doesn’t work out, we restore the order. That’s what we did. Lewis had a chance to catch Antonelli, but once it was clear he couldn’t, we asked them to switch back.”
Hamilton Shrugs It Off
After the race, Hamilton toned down his earlier sarcasm and clarified that he wasn’t upset with the team or Leclerc.
“In the moment, you think, come on, but that’s about it,” he said. “I’m not angry. I’ve got no issue with the team or Charles. We’re fighting for seventh and eighth, after all. I’m a racer. I always want more. But so does everyone in this team.”
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Ferrari Blame FOM as Miami Radio Drama Sparks Chaos Ferrari Blame FOM as Miami Radio Drama Sparks Chaos