Ferrari couldn’t fix ‘massive’ Lewis Hamilton problem before Miami Grand Prix despite five-week gap

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Lewis Hamilton continued to complain about a lack of power at the Miami Grand Prix, echoing his radio messages in Japan five weeks ago.

Hamilton crossed the line seventh in Sunday’s race, having become marooned between the front-runners and the midfield as he carried damage from a first-lap incident with Franco Colapinto.

That later became sixth when teammate Charles Leclerc, who hit the wall on the final lap, received a 20-second penalty for leaving the track multiple times without adequate justification.

Charles Leclerc drops to P8 after getting a 20-second penalty!

The Ferrari driver left the track on several occasions without a justifiable reason.

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Lewis Hamilton makes the same complaints about Ferrari charge five weeks on

At the Japanese GP in late March, Hamilton said he was down on power on several occasions. Rather than the internal combustion engine, the complaints centred on the battery.

Hamilton felt he didn’t have access to the electrical energy he needed during his battles at Suzuka, and he expressed similar frustrations in Miami.

He told engineer Carlo Santi at five different junctures, beginning with the early safety-car restart, that he had either ‘no power’ or needed more. He also reported ‘massive’ de-rating.

• READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton’s unheard apology to Ferrari after Franco Colapinto incident at Miami Grand Prix

The exact nature of the problem is unclear, but the overall impression is that Ferrari, particularly on Hamilton’s side of the garage, are struggling to optimise their battery, whether that’s harvesting, deployment or both.

There is an inevitable learning curve for both team and driver at the start of a new ruleset, but the apparent lack of progress between Japan and Miami is no doubt disappointing.

The dreaded ‘lift and coast’ radio returns for Lewis Hamilton

Overheating was another significant issue for Hamilton this weekend, both in the Sprint and the Grand Prix.

Even though it was cooler on Sunday, Hamilton was forced to lift and coast late in the race to keep the issue under control. This may have brought back uncomfortable memories of the 2025 season, when the two Ferrari drivers frequently had to ease off to protect the underbody.

“We need some LICO,” Santi told Hamilton. “We need some LICO to cool down the car. 100 metres.”

He was also instructed not to drop lower than third gear between turns 12 and 16 to manage temperatures.

Ferrari later reduced the scale of the lift and coast but must find a swift solution if they’re to avoid a recurring issue in hot conditions as the summer approaches.