Despite a five-week gap, Ferrari couldn’t fix Lewis Hamilton's problems on his car

Lewis Hamilton’s frustrations over a lack of power resurfaced at the Miami Grand Prix, with the seven-time World Champion echoing the same radio complaints he delivered in Japan five weeks ago.

Persistent Battery and Power Frustrations

Throughout the race, Hamilton told his race engineer, Carlo Santi, at five different junctures—beginning with the early safety-car restart—that he either had "no power" or desperately needed more. He also reported "massive" de-rating, a critical loss of electrical deployment at the end of the straights.

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While the exact nature of the problem remains unclear, the overall impression is that Ferrari—particularly on Hamilton’s side of the garage—are struggling to optimise their battery systems. Whether the issue lies in harvesting, deployment, or a combination of both, it highlights a significant operational hurdle. There is an inevitable learning curve for both the team and the driver at the start of a new ruleset, but the apparent lack of progress between Japan and Miami is undoubtedly disappointing for the Scuderia.

The Return of the Dreaded 'Lift and Coast'

Compounding the power unit woes, overheating emerged as another significant issue for Hamilton throughout the weekend, affecting him in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix. Even with cooler ambient temperatures on Sunday, Hamilton was forced to resort to heavy lift and coast techniques late in the race to keep the car's temperatures under control.

This operational compromise may have brought back uncomfortable memories of the 2025 season, when the two Ferrari drivers frequently had to ease off to protect the underbody of the car.

"We need some LICO," Santi instructed Hamilton over the radio. "We need some LICO to cool down the car. 100 metres."

Furthermore, Hamilton was instructed not to drop lower than third gear between Turns 12 and 16 in a bid to manage the soaring temperatures. While Ferrari later reduced the scale of the lift and coast required, the team must find a swift and effective solution. With the European summer approaching, avoiding a recurring overheating issue in hot conditions will be paramount to their campaign.