Ferrari’s Miami qualifying session proved challenging, with Leclerc’s 8th place and Hamilton’s Q2 exit highlighting the team’s ongoing performance struggles.
Charles Leclerc managed only the 8th fastest time in qualifying at the Miami Grand Prix, a harsh blow for the Ferrari driver.
“Recent races showed some progress, which was encouraging, but today’s performance is a painful reality check. Half a second off on such a short track hurts, and it highlights the weaknesses we have that are exposed on this circuit,” said Leclerc.
“We have to keep working hard. We’re behind both Williams cars, and that’s no mistake. It’s fair game; honestly, I was lucky to make it into Q3—I was on the edge of not making it, so it’s tough,” he added.
Was his preparation affected by the incident before the Sprint F1?
“It’s never good for your morale to hit the wall, especially in a formation lap. We need to learn from our mistakes. Going out on inters at that moment was an unnecessary risk,” Leclerc reflected.
“For me, I need to manage these situations better as a driver, and I didn’t handle it well. It’s not the ideal start to the weekend; I was hoping for a good qualifying to do something special. My lap was solid, but there’s no performance in the car, so it hurts.”
On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton was knocked out in Q2, qualifying 12th in Miami.
“We’re going to keep pushing. We’re only at the sixth race, but it’s been a tough start. We’re doing our best to avoid making big changes to our setup, but whatever we do, the performance is very inconsistent from lap to lap,” Hamilton said.
“We’re dealing with brake issues, instability problems, and we’re generally not fast enough. Just making it to Q3 is already a challenge for us.”
“When you’re behind, it’s hard to score points. Tomorrow will be tough, but we’ll give it another go. I’m used to this, but I’ll keep pushing.”
“I’ll be back at the factory next week to continue working on finding solutions.”
Looking back at his strategy, Hamilton admitted, “We should’ve used another set of fresh tires in Q2. It makes no sense to not use fresh rubber when you’re struggling. We’ll talk about it with the team.”
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Leclerc Struggles in Miami, Hamilton Faces Setbacks in Q2
Leclerc Struggles in Miami, Hamilton Faces Setbacks in Q2