Last Updated on May 9 2025, 10:36 am
Ferrari left searching for answers as Hamilton struggles with mystery performance issue – The Miami Grand Prix proved to be a sobering experience for Ferrari as both of their drivers found themselves on the back foot. Charles Leclerc crossed the line in seventh, followed by teammate Lewis Hamilton in eighth – a far cry from the front-running performances the team had hoped for after showing promising pace at the start of the 2025 Formula One season.
But beyond the disappointing result lies a deeper issue that has left Ferrari’s engineers scratching their heads: an unidentified problem that is hampering their ability to extract performance from the car, particularly in qualifying trim and especially when new tyres are in play.
The problem doesn’t just affect Ferrari’s competitiveness – it has serious implications for their development path and championship ambitions. And with Lewis Hamilton still adjusting to life in Maranello, the timing could not be worse.
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Hamilton’s transition to Ferrari enters turbulent waters
All eyes have been on Lewis Hamilton since he made the seismic switch from Mercedes to Ferrari for the 2025 season. The arrival of the seven-time world champion was expected to herald a new golden era for the Italian team. But five races into the season, Hamilton’s performances have yet to reach the heights many expected. His eighth-place finish in Miami reflects a continuing struggle to get to grips with the SF-25, a car that seems increasingly prone to unpredictable behaviour at key moments.
Currently seventh in the standings, Hamilton has been unable to match the pace of his rivals at McLaren and Red Bull. More worryingly for Ferrari, his performances are now being affected by what appears to be a recurring technical problem that no one at the team has fully understood – or solved.
New tyre, same problem: Ferrari’s qualifying dilemma
Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur was open about the situation when he spoke after the Miami race weekend. The team had made a number of improvements before the race and expected to be a strong contender, especially in qualifying.
But the opposite happened. Both Leclerc and Hamilton set their fastest laps in qualifying on used tyres, rather than benefiting from the fresh grip and performance that a new set of tyres normally provides.
“We lost the chance to score maximum points this weekend,” admitted Vasseur.
“In qualifying, our fastest lap with both cars was on used tyres, not new ones. We weren’t able to exploit the potential of the new tyres. The lap we did on the used tyres wasn’t that bad. We should have been fourth and fifth. But when the others changed to new tyres, we lost those positions.”
The implication is clear: Ferrari’s 2025 car has a significant problem getting the most out of fresh rubber – a fundamental weakness in F1, where tenths of a second can mean the difference between a front row start and third or fourth. It’s particularly damaging in highly competitive qualifying sessions, where maximising every ounce of tyre grip is essential.
Narrow operating window complicates matters
According to Vasseur, the problem lies in the way the SF-25 interacts with its tyres.
“It’s clear that this is where we need to improve if we look at the weekend as a whole,” he said. “How do we get the performance back on new tyres? If I knew the answer, I would take a step forward and we would have solved the problem between Q2 and Q3.”
The Ferrari boss added that the tyre performance window – essentially the narrow band of temperature and pressure within which a tyre operates optimally – was proving elusive for the SF-25.
“You always have to use the tyres in a very narrow window,” Vasseur noted.
That kind of sensitivity often signals deeper mechanical or aerodynamic imbalances in the car, or difficulties with tyre warm-up – especially in a single-lap qualifying scenario.
For a driver like Hamilton, whose career has been built on razor-sharp qualifying laps and race skills, this is particularly frustrating. The inability to get the most out of new tyres undermines one of his greatest strengths and leaves him starting further back than he should.
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Leclerc not immune to the struggles
While Hamilton’s adaptation to Ferrari has been the focus of much attention, Charles Leclerc has not been immune to the same problems. Despite being more familiar with the team and its procedures, the Monegasque has faced similar performance limitations, particularly when it comes to qualifying.
In Miami, he also failed to improve on new tyres in his final qualifying run – a rare and worrying trend that could suggest the problem is systemic across the SF-25 chassis, rather than isolated to Hamilton’s side of the garage.
Ferrari had hoped that the SF-25, an evolution of last year’s SF-24, would allow them to mount a genuine title challenge against McLaren and Red Bull. But unless they can solve this peculiar problem quickly, they risk falling further behind in both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships.
Looking ahead to Imola: Pressure mounting
The next race on the calendar is the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola – a home race for Ferrari and a crucial opportunity for the Scuderia to regroup. But with less than two weeks between Miami and Imola, the team has little time to find a technical solution to the tyre problem. It’s also a high-pressure environment in which to experiment with set-up changes or aerodynamic tweaks, given the expectations of fans and media alike.
Ferrari have faced similar challenges in recent seasons, often identifying problems mid-season that take too long to resolve. But Vasseur has made it clear that this cannot be another year of missed opportunities. The team must act decisively and quickly if it is to remain in contention, especially with McLaren now leading the Constructors’ Championship and Red Bull showing flashes of brilliance despite their internal challenges.
Crucial weeks for Ferrari’s season
As the F1 season progresses, each race takes on increasing importance. Ferrari entered 2025 with renewed optimism, a world-class driver line-up and a car that many believed could challenge for the title. But unless they can solve their tyre performance issues, they may find themselves fighting for best-of-the-rest honours rather than silverware.
The spotlight will be intense at Imola, both on Hamilton’s return to Italy for the first time with Ferrari, and on the team’s ongoing development efforts. The Scuderia’s ability to respond to adversity – always a defining characteristic of great Ferrari teams – will be put to the ultimate test.
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
