Hamilton Surprised by Ferrari's Performance Dip in Miami Sprint Qualifying as Leclerc Highlights Challenges

Lewis Hamilton found himself a bit puzzled after Sprint Qualifying at the Miami Grand Prix, admitting he anticipated a stronger showing from Ferrari. Hamilton, who finished the session in seventh, watched as Charles Leclerc, his Ferrari counterpart, settled for fifth despite setting the pace earlier.

Ferrari had kicked off the Miami weekend with optimism, bringing significant upgrades that initially seemed promising. Leclerc topped the timesheets during the sole practice session on Friday and continued to impress in the SQ2 segment of Sprint Qualifying. However, the final shootout saw Ferrari being outpaced by rivals, including McLaren, with Lando Norris clinching pole position.

Reflecting on the performance of the SF-26, Hamilton confessed, "We didn’t really know what to expect. I had hoped that we would be better, but the car didn’t feel particularly great." The seven-time World Champion expressed uncertainty about the new package's potential at other tracks, adding, "I thought we would be stronger than we were today. We’ve got to do some work overnight to try and figure out why we’re not that quick."

Charles Leclerc also acknowledged the need for improvement in Ferrari's Qualifying form. The Monegasque driver noted, "The upgrades are fine, it’s just that everybody brought upgrades." He pointed out that Mercedes remains the car to beat, while McLaren made a significant leap forward, even if they hadn't fully optimized their early season races.

Leclerc identified tyre performance as a particular issue, saying, "Today, particularly we’ve struggled with tyres – medium were working very well, on the soft it wasn’t a nice feeling." He remained optimistic about Ferrari's race pace, suggesting that they could still find opportunities to shine.

Looking ahead, Leclerc sounded hopeful about potential improvements in Qualifying and the race itself. "I think in Qualifying tomorrow we can try and fine-tune a little bit and find a bit of performance," he explained. "We’ve got the pace to do that, let’s just see if we are able to overtake."

As the weekend unfolds, Ferrari will be keen to translate their upgrades into tangible results, while Hamilton and other rivals keep a watchful eye on how the Scuderia adapts. The next few sessions will tell if Ferrari's upgrades can indeed turn the tide in their favor.