Disaster at Ferrari as Charles Leclerc crashes out before the F1 Miami GP Sprint

Ferrari hoped for a better Sprint race after a mediocre sprint qualifying session, however, disaster struck for Scuderia as Charles Leclerc crashed out during his reconnaissance lap. Leaving the SF-25 in a shambles, Leclerc had to abort his plan to start the race a few minutes later.

Ferrari qualified sixth and seventh for the Sprint race in Miami after a disappointing start to the weekend. However, the Maranello-based outfit hoped to make up for lost time at the Sprint race on Saturday, as many expected the weather to play a big role during the 19-lap race.

Teams readied up their cars for a damp Sprint race as showers in Florida worsened before the green flag fell. This urged the drivers to tiptoe around the 5.4-kilometer track.

Despite Charles Leclerc's cautiousness, he lost control of the SF-25 and crashed into the concrete wall while making his way to the grid. The damage caused him to end his day early at the office, as he radioed his disappointment over the radio:

"No, no. I'll try to go back, complete aquaplaning. I was not even pushing hard. I don't think I can go back."

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Charles Leclerc wants to win the Miami Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc at the F1 Grand Prix of Miami - Source: Getty

Though Leclerc crashed out of the Sprint race, his hopes for the Miami Grand Prix weekend are not over yet. Coming into the American race weekend, the 27-year-old is the lead Ferrari driver in the intra-team battle against Lewis Hamilton, and held his head high after his recent performances.

Reflecting on the start to his 2025 campaign and how he wants to take the chequered flag as the leader on Sunday, Charles Leclerc said (via Formula 1):

"It’s not been the first part of the season we wished we had, but it’s the first part of the season we had – so now we need to focus on what’s ahead and try to improve just like we have in the last three races.

"I don’t feel we quite have the potential on paper to fight the McLaren, and the Red Bull on good days, yet but we’ve got to take the points that are available and then whenever we will have the car to fight for wins we’ve got to be there to win. Having said all that I still go into this weekend with one goal in mind, which is to win on Sunday and we will do our best."

On the other hand, the Sprint race at the Miami International Autodrome will seemingly have 19 runners. However, the starting procedure was suspended even before the green lights went out due to visibility complaints by drivers over the radio.