MIAMI, Florida — On the reconnaissance lap ahead of the F1 Sprint race here at the Miami Grand Prix, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc slid off the track and into the wall, ending his race before it began.
Lewis Hamilton went from nearly hitting the wall to the podium in the F1 Sprint in Miami
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton rolled the dice in the F1 Sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix, and came up with a podium finish
Photo by Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
Driving right behind him, teammate Lewis Hamilton nearly suffered the same fate. But somehow he was able to get his SF-25 to avoid the wall, keeping his F1 Sprint hopes alive.
Instead of finding the wall, he found the podium.
Hamilton finished third in the F1 Sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix, making it two podiums in two F1 Sprint races this season. The legendary driver captured the win in the F1 Sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix, and now has a P3 trophy to go along with that bit of hardware.
Speaking with the media, including SB Nation, after the race Hamilton outlined how close he came to suffering the same fate as his teammate.
“When we all went out for the formation lap, I don’t know how it was, but obviously Charles had that moment,” began Hamilton. “I had exactly the same moment because I was right behind him and somehow it just stopped going towards the wall right at the last, last moment.
“So that was nearly both of us out.
“So as I said, to come from that then get these points, I’m really grateful.”
Hamilton was one of the first drivers to make the switch from the intermediate tires to a set of slicks, as Ferrari called him in on Lap 12 of the F1 Sprint race to make the switch to a set of softs. That decision paid off, as he was able to pick up multiple places on the track and get up into the top three. When the safety car came out in the closing stages after an incident between Liam Lawson and Fernando Alonso left the Aston Martin driver in the wall, Hamilton was able to finish up in third.
“I was so happy, really, really happy with the results to get up here because it wasn’t looking very good through, qualifying. Obviously, we are quite a chunk off these guys [McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri],” said Hamilton. “And then to get onto the Inters and I was just sliding around and, you know, I had the Williams [Alexander Albon] by me, I think, and there’s another one behind him who I was most likely to get overtaken by. So I was like, ‘I gotta roll the dice.’
“I was full lock through Turn 12 and full lock through Turn 16 and it still wasn’t turning.
“So I was like, ‘let’s just go for it’ [and switch to slick tires].
“And honestly, I would have, I should have done it maybe a lap or two before that.
“I think it would have been probably the same result because these guys were a bit too far ahead, but really, really happy to get back up there and get the points.”
Looking ahead to qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix later today, Hamilton noted that right now Ferrari is “not extracting everything” from the SF-25, and they still need to unlock the full potential of the car.
“I think the fact is we’re not extracting everything. I don’t think we’re extracting everything from the car,” began Hamilton. “And that’s what we need to work on, to extract the full potential of the car.
“I don’t think we’re on the same pace as the McLarens, but I think we should be fighting a little bit closer perhaps to the Red Bulls and to McLaren.
“So I think there’s a lot of elements that we need to elevate.
“And, and hopefully, we’ll try and see if we can do that to qualifying today.”
That qualifying session, and that mission to extract everything from the SF-25, starts in a few short hours.
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