Lewis Hamilton has opened up about his tense team radio messages during Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix, admitting frustration in the heat of the moment but maintaining that they were not meant to be taken personally as he called for quicker decision-making from Ferrari.
The seven-time world champion endured a difficult weekend overall, starting 12th and finding himself battling Esteban Ocon on the fringes of the points early on. A mid-race Virtual Safety Car offered a lifeline, allowing Hamilton to pit without losing significant ground, and he soon found himself tucked behind team-mate Charles Leclerc and Williams’ Carlos Sainz in the fight for seventh.
When Leclerc passed Sainz at Turn 1, Hamilton — on the faster medium compound — looked the quicker Ferrari and asked over team radio to be let through. But with Ferrari initially instructing both drivers to hold position, Hamilton’s irritation grew, prompting a sarcastic radio message:
“Have a tea break while you’re at it.”
The delay in issuing team orders caused Hamilton to lose valuable time, though he eventually passed Leclerc before finishing eighth — one place behind his team-mate — after a dramatic last-lap tangle with Sainz.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race, Hamilton clarified his comments:
“I lost a lot of time behind Charles and in that moment, for sure, I was like, come on, let’s make a concise decision really quick, let’s not waste time.
I’m sure people didn’t like certain comments, but you’ve got to understand — it was frustrating. People say way worse things than what I say. It was more sarcastic than anything, and I’m not frustrated now. We’ll work internally, we’ll have discussions, and we’ll keep pushing.”
He was also clear that the team must stay focused despite a disappointing weekend:
“Let’s not get emotional about it. We’re here to race — we’re not where we want to be.”
The late-race contact with Sainz added another layer of frustration. Sainz, trying a bold move into the final hairpin, made contact with Hamilton, though stewards deemed it a racing incident.
Reflecting on Ferrari’s performance, Hamilton said:
“For us to be battling Williams and struggling to beat them just shows that we have a lot of performance to find. We’re lacking performance in the car, but I think we know where we’re losing it — particularly since China. We’ve got some improvements to make to the car, but we won’t give up.”
Leclerc, who crossed the line seventh, echoed the concerns, with Ferrari finishing nearly a minute behind race winner Oscar Piastri in a race that included just two brief Virtual Safety Cars.
“It’s not good. We need to do better, and we are in a difficult situation at the moment. I just hope we can turn that situation around as soon as possible.”
With the Scuderia under increasing pressure to deliver results and consistency, both drivers now look ahead to the next round hoping for a clearer strategy — and a faster car.