Why Formula One loves Miami. Plus, the data behind Hamilton’s struggles

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Welcome back to Prime Tire, where we’re just watching this video of Charles Leclerc’s dog Leo entering the Miami Grand Prix paddock on repeat. More. Leo. Content!

It’s the first American race of 2025. I’m Patrick, and Luke Smith will be along shortly from Miami. Let’s get to it.

No thank you (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

No.

Absolutely not with this livery, Ferrari

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of its partnership with HP, Ferrari is running this special livery in Miami this weekend. The people hate it. Here’s how I feel:

• It looks like a different livery corrupted while downloading.
• It’s like wearing pajama pants to work.
• It’s the answer to “What if our F1 livery was a mullet?”

There’s a solution here. We wrote about it last year, when Ferrari debuted some blue for the Miami GP: Bring back the all-blue, Ferrari! You did it in Watkins Glen in 1964. You can avoid the Frankenblue monstrosities and just … go all-in.

F1 Loves Miami

Why the Miami GP is here to stay

ESPN’s Ryan McGee made the case this week that the Miami Grand Prix has become “America’s Monaco.” The Monaco race is renowned for its glamorous celebrity scene, exclusive party atmosphere and unmistakable local personality — all qualities that also define the Miami GP weekend.

I found that argument compelling, and it’s a sentiment many in the F1 paddock have shared in the last couple of years. So the news today should come as no surprise: F1 has extended its contract with the Miami GP until 2041. That makes it the first confirmed F1 race into the 2040s.

So, why ensure the Miami GP is around for at least 16 more years? Luke’s analysis goes into this in more detail, but here are the basics you can infer: Good revenue, good viewership, good business-making environment, and the drivers love the place.

An F1 naturalist would look at this race and declare the habitat incredibly healthy, even if the racing isn’t the most thrilling.

With more on how the Miami GP has grown, here’s Luke.

Inside the Paddock with Luke Smith

Miami comes into its own

I remember coming to Miami for the first time in 2022, how novel and exciting it all felt. That was pre-Las Vegas, and marked the next major step in F1’s American expansion.

Now into its fourth year, there’s not quite the same spark. But that’s a good thing. In the nicest possible way, Miami now feels like just another race, established and mature.

The fact the F1 paddock is literally in the middle of the Hard Rock Stadium still fills me with a lot of joy. The grand prix has become one of the biggest events in a year filled with big moments for Miami’s sporting scene, and it’s wonderful to see how the Dolphins have embraced that, right down to the custom driver jerseys in the locker room that is host to the press conferences this weekend.

It’s a slickly run event, meaning that when I say it’s just another race, from an operational standpoint and as something to look forward to, it does rank highly. Fernando Alonso said yesterday he thought it was one of the best events on the calendar, and I’m inclined to agree. This is a race people relish going to rather than dread (which is the case for some other races.)

So no, there isn’t the same unknown in Miami there once was. But that’s only a good thing.

Thanks, Luke. As a reminder, we’ve got FP1 right now, followed by sprint qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Full schedule | Live Blog

Data-Crunching

What’s behind Hamilton’s struggles?

Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari dream is becoming a painful reality as he falls significantly behind teammate Charles Leclerc in the opening races in 2025. Hamilton is already 16 points back, mired in seventh place. (If he had the same number of points as Leclerc, Ferrari would be in third instead of fourth.)

Luke broke down how dire Hamilton’s situation has become and explores potential reasons behind his disappointing Ferrari debut.

😲 This stood out: Hamilton’s struggles are worse than those experienced by Leclerc’s previous teammates. But Leclerc’s previous teammates all struggled to keep up early in the season:

It’s another reminder that we tend to take so-called second drivers for granted when they team up with more popular or more successful drivers. Carlos Sainz with Leclerc. Sergio Pérez with Max Verstappen (for a bit). Lance Stroll with Fernando Alonso. George Russell with Lewis Hamilton.

Getting beat by Leclerc in the first five races is basically a Ferrari tradition at this point. For more on this dynamic, read on.

Outside the points

Verstappen missed media day yesterday for the birth of his first child, Lily. He made it to the paddock this morning, ready for practice.

Racing Bulls and Sauber also have special liveries this weekend. Sauber went with a splattered paint vibe (6/10 from me) and Racing Bulls went all pink. (10/10)

Cadillac F1 is teasing … something tomorrow at the Miami GP for its debut in 2026. Meanwhile, rumors continue to swirl around Sergio Pérez and the team …

F1 Academy’s docuseries lands on Netflix in May!

The FIA President is considering improvements to the swearing rules.

And, finally, F1 extended its Mexico City Grand Prix deal through 2028.

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(Top photo: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

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