Lewis Hamilton has been handed a glimmer of optimism as Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur outlined when the team expects to roll out key upgrades to their Formula 1 car.
Hamilton endured a tough Miami Grand Prix, finishing eighth and expressing frustration over delayed team orders via tense radio exchanges with race engineer Riccardo Adami. Ferrari’s struggles weren’t limited to strategy — the SF-25 lagged behind rivals in the slow corners of the Miami International Autodrome, falling further behind McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes.
However, Vasseur confirmed that performance updates are on the way. Ferrari will bring minor improvements to the upcoming race at Imola, with more significant upgrades planned for the Spanish Grand Prix at the end of May — offering hope not just to Hamilton, but also to teammate Charles Leclerc.
“We’ll have something to make a small step forward in Imola,” Vasseur told Sky Sports F1 after the race. “Then there’ll be another step in Barcelona.”
Still, Vasseur cautioned against expecting immediate transformations, stressing the need to focus on achieving better balance with the car rather than relying solely on new parts.
“We have to find the best compromise and put everything together,” he added.
Ferrari’s pace wasn’t the only issue in Miami. Vasseur pointed to tire performance as a bigger challenge, revealing the team struggled to find the right setup. Notably, their best qualifying lap came on used tires — a rare and frustrating occurrence.
“It’s more about tire behavior than the car’s characteristics,” he explained. “At times we’ve been able to get much more from the tyres, and that’s where the performance comes from. We have to fix these problems step by step.”