Ferrari is diving deep into the data after a mixed debut for their major Miami Grand Prix upgrade package, with the team now comparing Lewis Hamilton's feedback against Charles Leclerc's telemetry.
The Scuderia made the most of the five-week break following the Japanese Grand Prix, rolling out a whopping 11 new parts for the SF-26 in Miami. That's more than any other team on the grid, and it included a new front wing, floor, rear wing, suspension tweaks, and changes to the exhaust tail flap. The goal was clear: boost downforce while improving straight-line efficiency.
Leclerc looked right at home from the first practice session, topping the timesheets before qualifying fourth for the Sprint. Hamilton, however, had a tougher time. The seven-time world champion finished fourth in FP1 and then qualified seventh for the Sprint, a full 0.379 seconds behind his teammate in SQ3 and 0.749 seconds off pole position.
Hamilton had arrived in Florida with high hopes. He'd spent considerable time at Maranello during the break, working closely with the team on the SF-26, and both drivers had tested the new parts during a filming day at Monza in April. But something wasn't clicking.
"To be honest I didn't feel as comfortable as I would have hoped," Hamilton admitted after qualifying. "I did not feel great with my feeling of balance, so this is something we need to work on for tomorrow."
According to FormulaTecnica, Ferrari is now investigating whether there are clear technical reasons behind Hamilton's struggles, particularly with grip and battery management. The team remains confident he can bounce back on race day, but they're leaving no stone unturned.
"There is definitely some work ahead of us and we need time and data to get more out of our package," team principal Fred Vasseur explained. "We will work hard overnight because we want more."
Adding to the intrigue, Hamilton set his best lap late in SQ3, while Leclerc settled for fourth without even improving on his second run. That left the Monegasque also behind Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli and McLaren's Oscar Piastri. For a team that brought the biggest upgrade package of the weekend, Ferrari now has some serious homework to do before the lights go out.