Lewis Hamilton makes Ferrari demand after Miami GP qualifying

Lewis Hamilton has expressed mounting frustration with Ferrari’s performance after another difficult qualifying session at the Miami Grand Prix.



While he briefly found relief with a podium finish in the sprint race, his 12th-place qualifying result underlined the Scuderia’s ongoing issues.



A Disappointing Qualifying Overshadows Sprint Podium



Despite the positive outcome in the sprint race, Hamilton’s qualifying woes quickly took center stage. He narrowly escaped elimination in Q1 after locking up early in the session, but couldn’t push higher than 12th in Q2—his worst Saturday result of the 2025 season to date.



“The sprint race was better than qualifying, but we are where we are,” Hamilton admitted post-session. “We need some upgrades. We need some improvements. Really, we’ve got lots of things that need to be better.”



“We Don’t Have the Pace” – Hamilton



Hamilton voiced clear frustration over the lack of competitiveness in Ferrari’s package. While he acknowledged the team is pushing hard, he noted that even a spot in Q3 wouldn’t have changed much.



“I don’t feel it in my heart and as I said, I’m trying everything. We’re trying everything,” he said. “If we went out on the new tyre, I probably would have been in Q3 and then maybe I’ll be eighth or ninth with Charles, so it doesn’t make a huge difference.



“But the fact is, we are trying and we don’t have the pace.”



The seven-time world champion pointed out that Williams, a midfield outfit, had outqualified them on pure pace—with Alex Albon taking seventh and Carlos Sainz putting in a strong lap for sixth.



“Williams are doing a great job, James [Vowles] and his team are doing an amazing job, but pure pace, that’s where we are,” he remarked.



Leclerc: “We Are Maximizing the Car’s Potential”



Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who will start eighth on the grid, echoed Hamilton’s sentiments, stating that the car was simply not competitive enough on the Miami layout.



“To be honest, this weekend, I feel like we are maximizing the potential of the car,” Leclerc said. “It shows that the potential of the car is just not there.”



After what he described as a solid qualifying lap, Leclerc was dismayed to see it only place him eighth.



“When I finished a lap again today in qualifying, I felt very satisfied with my lap, then it’s only bringing us P8.”



Track Layout Exposes Ferrari’s Weaknesses



Leclerc pointed to Miami’s circuit layout, which includes numerous low-speed corners, as particularly difficult for Ferrari’s current package.



“A track like this also highlights our weaknesses,” he added. “Both Williams are in front of us and I consider my lap a good one.



“So I think it’s pretty easy to understand where we are lacking.”



Looking Ahead with Realism



While Hamilton and Leclerc continue to extract what they can from the SF-25, both are aware that raw performance is lacking. With no clear timeframe for upgrades, the pressure is mounting on Ferrari to respond as McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes continue to battle at the front.
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