Fred Vasseur Reflects on Challenging Miami GP for Ferrari with P6 and P8 Finishes

Ferrari had a weekend to forget at the Miami Grand Prix, where the team failed to secure a podium finish. Team Principal Fred Vasseur summed up the event as "mega tough," noting that things had gone well until the race itself, where Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc ended up in P6 and P8.

The team arrived in Miami with fresh upgrades aimed at closing the gap with Mercedes, their main rival so far this season. Charles Leclerc showcased potential by grabbing a podium in the Sprint and starting third in the Grand Prix. However, his fortunes took a nosedive with a last-lap spin and a subsequent 20-second penalty, leaving him eighth. Meanwhile, Hamilton dealt with damage from the opening lap to finish sixth.

"It's a mega tough Sunday," Vasseur commented on F1 TV. "The weekend started well, but everything changed during the race. On Lap 1, we lost part of the front bargeboard with Lewis, which was almost race-ending. Charles was fighting for P3, and despite the spin, he managed to keep going."

Ferrari's pace in the initial stint was encouraging, with Leclerc battling for the lead alongside Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris. Yet, the challenge of managing the Pirelli tyres in Miami's high temperatures proved too much. Leclerc struggled on the hard tyres even before his spin.

"Tyre management and temperature were the stories of the weekend," Vasseur admitted, pointing out tyre management as an area needing improvement. "The first stint went well, but after the Safety Car, it became more about energy management and was much more challenging."

The race had two phases, Vasseur explained: an initial phase with good pace in free air, and a second phase post-Safety Car, where compacted field conditions made life harder for the drivers.

Though the Miami outing was far from ideal, Ferrari will look to learn from these challenges as they continue to chase the frontrunners in the championship.