Charles Leclerc demands Ferrari answers after Miami GP pace collapse

Charles Leclerc is pushing Ferrari for answers after the team “lost a lot of performance” between Sprint Saturday and Grand Prix Sunday in Miami. The Monegasque driver led early but faded to sixth on track, then fell to eighth after a 20-second penalty, leaving him frustrated and searching for explanations.

Why it matters:

Ferrari’s race-day pace struggles are becoming a recurring concern. Despite showing promise in qualifying and the Sprint, the SF-25 has repeatedly fallen off during the grand prix, costing Leclerc and teammate Lewis Hamilton vital points. With Leclerc now 41 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, understanding and fixing this issue is critical for Ferrari’s title hopes.

The details:

• Start strong, fade fast: Leclerc took the lead at the start and battled Antonelli and Norris early, but his pace dropped significantly on medium tyres. “We were degrading a massive amount,” Leclerc said.
• Late-race chaos: On the penultimate lap, Oscar Piastri passed Leclerc for third at Turn 17. Leclerc then spun at Turn 3 on the final lap, hitting the wall, clashed with George Russell at T17, and lost to Verstappen at the line—finishing sixth initially.
• Penalty drop: The stewards penalized Leclerc for repeatedly cutting chicanes while nursing his damaged car, converting a drive-through penalty to 20 seconds, dropping him to P8.
• Pace mystery: Leclerc noted the hard tyre performance improved slightly but never matched Sprint levels. “We need to look at it. I want to understand exactly what happened there.”

What's next:

Leclerc downplayed suggestions of a pattern, saying, “I don’t think it’s a pattern… let’s wait a few more races.” Ferrari now faces a trip to Imola, a track that should suit their car better. But without clear answers on tire degradation, the risk of another Sunday meltdown lingers.

• Ferrari sits third in the Constructors’ Championship, 70 points behind leaders Mercedes.
• Leclerc remains third in the drivers’ standings but trails Antonelli by 41 points.

With upgrades planned for the European season, the team must determine whether the Miami collapse was a one-off or a symptom of deeper issues.