Ferrari entered the Miami weekend with strong expectations after bringing one of its biggest upgrade packages of the 2026 season. Early signs looked promising as Charles Leclerc topped the only practice session, showing clear potential for the SF 26. Confidence started to build inside the team, especially with Lewis Hamilton also showing competitive pace. However, once the pressure increased in sprint qualifying, the situation changed quickly as a technical issue limited the car’s straight line performance at the worst possible moment.
Ferrari lost valuable time due to a software related issue that affected energy deployment on the straights. Both drivers experienced a noticeable drop in power, especially during key sections of the track where top speed plays a critical role.
Leclerc encountered the issue during his only soft tire run in SQ3, particularly between Turn 16 and Turn 17, while Hamilton faced the same problem across both main straights. This directly impacted lap times and created a gap that should not have existed based on their earlier pace in practice.
Hamilton openly explained that he lost around three tenths due to the system not working properly, despite delivering the same driving performance. The issue carried into the Sprint race as well, confirming that it was not a one time glitch but a deeper problem in how the car manages energy under race conditions.
Ferrari now faces a critical moment as Hamilton pushes for immediate software adjustments before the main qualifying session. The problem appears linked to battery management and energy deployment systems, which were already being revised for this race weekend to fix previous performance inconsistencies.
Despite those efforts, the current setup failed to deliver the expected results. Hamilton confirmed that the team needs to make significant changes, not only to the software but also to the car setup, which he described as being in the wrong place.
The bigger concern lies in the gap between Ferrari’s practice performance and its competitive output under pressure. While the car shows strong pace in early sessions, it struggles to maintain that level when it matters most. With McLaren stepping forward and competition tightening, Ferrari cannot afford to lose time on the straights due to software limitations.
If the issue remains unresolved, no amount of setup adjustments will be enough to recover the lost performance. The focus now shifts to whether Ferrari can unlock the true potential of the SF 26 before qualifying, or risk falling further behind in a weekend that started with so much promise.
Started my career in Automotive Journalism in 2015. Even though I'm a pharmacist, hanging around cars all the time has created a passion for the automotive industry since day 1.
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