Charles Leclerc is looking for answers after Ferrari \u201clost a lot of performance\u201d come Grand Prix Sunday in Miami.<\/p>\n
Leclerc has called on Ferrari<\/a> to investigate this drop in pace, having fallen away from victory contention as the Miami Grand Prix progressed. Leclerc\u2019s day grew more frustrating still when a 20-second penalty dropped him from sixth to eighth in the final classification.<\/p>\n Charles Leclerc questions Ferrari Miami GP performance drop<\/p>\n Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Leclerc took the lead at the start of the Miami GP, and spent the opening stages squabbling with the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, before Lando Norris also joined the P1 battle.<\/p>\n Antonelli and Norris would ultimately pull away from Leclerc, leaving him in a tussle for the final podium place.<\/p>\n As the penultimate lap began, Oscar Piastri snatched third from Leclerc at Turn 17. Leclerc then went spinning at Turn 3, hitting the wall, as he began his last lap, banged wheels with George Russell at T17, and lost out to Verstappen at the line, dropping to a P6 finish.<\/p>\n Things got worse for Leclerc, who was deemed by the stewards to have left the track and gained a lasting advantage multiple times, having cut the chicanes in bringing his wounded Ferrari home.<\/p>\n He was hit with a drive-through penalty, converted to 20 seconds, dropping him to eighth.<\/p>\n Having seen a promising situation to fight for a win unravel, Leclerc wants a Ferrari investigation, and answers.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the medium [tyres] we weren\u2019t strong. We were degrading a massive amount,\u201d Leclerc reflected with PlanetF1.com and other accredited media.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the hard, it wasn\u2019t great at the beginning, then it picked up, and then it was a little bit better, but it was never at the level of yesterday [the Sprint].<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to look at it. We\u2019ve lost a lot of performance compared to yesterday, and I would like to understand exactly what happened there.\u201d<\/p>\n More on Ferrari from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n Verstappen insider accuses FIA of \u2018double standards\u2019 as Hamilton footage emerges<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s strange\u2019 \u2013 Leclerc reacts to Ferrari milestone with Schumacher record in sight<\/a><\/p>\n It was put to Leclerc that this is not the first F1 2026 example of Ferrari\u2019s pace dropping off during a grand prix.<\/p>\n He was asked whether he believes a pattern is emerging.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s a pattern,\u201d he stated, \u201cbut let\u2019s wait a few more races and understand if it is.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I don\u2019t have that feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n Leclerc remains third in the Drivers\u2019 Championship standings<\/a> after Miami, but is now 41 points behind leader Antonelli.<\/p>\n Ferrari are 70 points behind Constructors\u2019 Championship leaders Mercedes.<\/p>\n Additional reporting by Thomas Maher<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n