Lewis Hamilton endured a frustrating Miami Grand Prix, crossing the line in sixth position after spending much of the race weekend trailing teammate Charles Leclerc by several tenths of a second.The seven-time world champion failed to record a top-five finish in any session during the Sprint weekend.
His final classification was only secured after Leclerc received a 20-second time penalty for cutting multiple corners on the final lap following contact with the barriers.”A challenging weekend for us,” Hamilton posted on Instagram. “Tough to take especially given all the hard work the team has put in, but this won’t define us.”
Lewis Hamilton suffered a tough start to the Miami Grand Prix | REUTERS
The race unravelled for Hamilton from the very first lap when Max Verstappen spun ahead of him, forcing the British driver to take evasive action to the right.”I had a good Turn One and I was in a good position and then the only place I could go was right,” Hamilton explained to Sky Sports F1.
This manoeuvre cost him track position, and moments later he made contact with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, sustaining damage that compromised his car’s performance.”Particularly with the damage, there was nothing I could do,” Hamilton said. “I was pretty much stuck in no man’s land and couldn’t extract more from the car.”Hamilton’s campaign began promisingly, with the Briton securing his maiden Ferrari podium in Shanghai following a strong showing in Australia.
Lewis Hamilton’s car sustained damage after hitting Franco Colapinto | REUTERS
However, his form has dipped noticeably at recent rounds in Japan and Miami, where he has consistently lacked the pace of his Monegasque teammate.The gap between the pair was evident throughout the Miami weekend, with Hamilton qualifying four tenths slower than Leclerc in Sprint Qualifying before set-up adjustments reduced the deficit to two tenths for the main race.Ferrari arrived in Florida with what amounted to a substantially revised car, introducing 11 major upgrades, yet Hamilton acknowledged his results failed to reflect the team’s efforts.
Lewis Hamilton is desperate to rediscover his old form | REUTERS
The Formula 1 calendar now turns to Montreal, where Hamilton will be eager to rediscover his form at a circuit that has proved remarkably fruitful throughout his career.The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has witnessed seven Hamilton victories and six pole positions, including his first ever F1 win and pole back in 2007 during his McLaren days.Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix Sprint weekend on 22-24 May, the 40-year-old intends to alter his approach to race preparation.
“I’m going to have a different approach for the next race,” Hamilton stated. “The way we’re preparing at the moment is not helping.”