Ferrari disappointed on numerous fronts at the Miami GP. In terms of performance, the SF-25 was still several steps away from challenging McLaren.
Fred Vasseur’s team are arguably fourth-fastest, which is an objective failure given their trajectory in 2024.
However, it was the Scuderia’s poor strategy and communication that took centre stage in Miami.
Lewis Hamilton makes clear he will not apologise for being direct with his team radio messages.
Hamilton: I could have said far worse on team radio
Perhaps more than any team, Ferrari have developed a reputation for their strategic mishaps.
At the first round in Australia, both Hamilton and Leclerc were severely compromised by the team’s refusal to stop for intermediates.
At the time, Hamilton was quick to defend Ferrari from the criticisms about their team radio communications.
Since then, however, the narrative surrounding the Maranello team has become more negative.
Their lack of performance is visibly frustration both drivers.
Even Charles Leclerc, who is traditionally someone who always protects Ferrari, is growing impatient.
In this context, Ferrari’s unwillingness to swap Hamilton in Leclerc and Miami quickly enough (costing Hamilton a chance to catch Antonelli) drew immense criticism.
Speaking to Sky Sports post-race, Hamilton explained how he discussed the situation:
“Fred came to my room. I just put my hand on his shoulder and said – ‘Dude, calm down. Don’t be so sensitive.
“I could have said way worse things on the radio.
“You hear some of the things other people have said in the past.
“Some it was sarcasm. You’ve got to understand, we’re under a huge amount of pressure in the cars.
“You’re never going to get the most peaceful messages come through in the heat of battle.
“I don’t know what you’re going to write, or whether I was disrespectful of whatever. I honestly don’t feel I was.
“I was just like – ‘Come on guys, I want to win.’ I’ve still got that fire in my belly.
“I could feel a bit of it coming out there.
“And I’m not going to apologise for being a fighter. I’m not going to apologise for still wanting it.”
Ferrari under increasing pressure
Since becoming Ferrari team principal in 2023, Fred Vasseur has generally been the recipient of significant praise.
And for good reason, too. The Frenchman oversaw a substantial recovery of the team’s fortunes in 2024, narrowly missing out on the constructors title.
Unfortunately for Vasseur, this optimism about Ferrari’s future has slowly faded.
The SF-25’s poor performance, which Vasseur often insists is due to a failure to unlock its potential, represents another failure at Maranello to produce a title-winning car.
Not only are McLaren comfortably ahead, but so are Mercedes and Red Bull.
Even Williams were faster in Miami, with Carlos Sainz only finishing behind the Ferrari duo after picking up floor damage.
On paper, having such a talented line-up with Hamilton and Leclerc is a tremendous benefit.
However, as Ferrari fail to deliver a competitive enough car, this driver pairing only serves to highlight the team’s failures.
For all the talks of crisis at Red Bull after Bahrain, the Milton Keynes outfit have already rebounded.
Their floor upgrade, which only Verstappen had in Miami, seemed to deliver additional performance.
When Tsunoda receives this component in Imola, it could further cement Ferrari’s place in the pecking order.
