Charles Leclerc has called on Ferrari to conduct a full investigation after the SF-26 suffered a significant drop in performance between the Sprint Race and the main grand prix at the 2026 Miami Grand Prix.
Leclerc looked highly competitive throughout Saturday, finishing third in the sprint before securing third place on the grid for the main race. The Monegasque driver was even involved in an early battle for victory alongside Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris during the opening stages of the grand prix.
However, Ferrari’s pace began to deteriorate significantly as the race progressed. Leclerc gradually lost contact with the leaders and came under increasing pressure from Oscar Piastri and George Russell. Russell’s early pit stop then forced Ferrari into reacting strategically, further compromising Leclerc’s race.
“On the medium tyres we were not strong. The degradation was massive.”
“On the hard tyre it improved after a few laps, but it was still nowhere near the sprint pace.”
Technically, Leclerc’s comments point towards a major shift in car balance, tyre temperature management, or setup efficiency between sprint conditions and the full-distance grand prix. Miami is particularly demanding due to its high track temperatures and sensitivity to rear tyre degradation and aerodynamic stability.
Ferrari previously appeared competitive over shorter runs during the sprint format but struggled to maintain race pace consistency over longer stints on Sunday. This suggests the SF-26 may still have difficulties controlling medium-tyre degradation under heavy fuel loads.
“We need to investigate it.”
“We lost a lot of performance compared to before and I would like to understand exactly what happened.”
Leclerc’s race ultimately deteriorated further after a final-lap spin while fighting for a podium position. Damage to the car forced him to cut several corners before receiving a post-race 20-second penalty, dropping him from sixth to eighth place.
The result once again highlighted Ferrari’s ongoing struggle to maintain consistent performance throughout an entire race weekend. While the SF-26 continues to demonstrate strong one-lap potential, tyre degradation management and long-run stability remain major areas Ferrari must address ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
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