Ferrari left the streets of Baku with both cars in the points, yet neither Charles Leclerc nor Lewis Hamilton viewed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as a success. What could have been a chance to capitalize on earlier momentum instead turned into a weekend of frustration, mistakes, and missed opportunities.For Charles Leclerc, Baku has traditionally been a happy hunting ground. With four consecutive pole positions at the venue in past seasons, expectations were high. But this time, the Monegasque driver left disappointed, crossing the line in ninth after a difficult qualifying and a stagnant race.His Q3 crash left him starting only tenth, and while points were secured, Leclerc admitted responsibility for the underwhelming result. “We’ve got to react. It hasn’t been a strong weekend at all,” he said. “The car struggled in cooler conditions, and my set-up approach wasn’t right. But ultimately, the mistake in qualifying put me on the back foot.”Leclerc spent much of his race trapped behind Liam Lawson, unable to unleash Ferrari’s potential. “I was stuck the whole time. Lawson defended well and had great straight-line speed. It made the race boring for me, but that’s the price you pay when you start too far back.”
Hamilton’s Consistency Meets Ferrari’s Limitations
Lewis Hamilton managed to edge ahead of his team-mate, finishing eighth after starting 12th. While his race execution was solid, the seven-time world champion echoed Leclerc’s concerns about the team’s broader issues.“I got a good start and made progress, which was positive,” Hamilton explained. “But the pace wasn’t great. On the hard tyres, I lost ground to those on mediums, and even though I recovered later, we lacked overall speed. Qualifying is everything here, and we didn’t get it right.”Hamilton, however, remained measured in his reflections, emphasizing the need to regroup internally rather than point fingers. “We know where we fell short. Now it’s about addressing it as a team and improving moving forward.”Ferrari had arrived in Azerbaijan with optimism after a strong Friday, Hamilton even topping the second practice session. But the combination of cooler track conditions, compromised set-ups, and costly qualifying mistakes left the team struggling to maximize its potential.
The takeaway from both drivers was clear: raw pace is not enough without execution. Poor grid positions left them battling in traffic, a problem magnified on Baku’s long straights where overtaking opportunities can be limited.
What Comes Next
Despite both cars securing points, Ferrari know they need more. For Leclerc, the disappointment was personal, with his uncharacteristic qualifying error setting the tone for Sunday. For Hamilton, the frustration lay in knowing the car simply wasn’t quick enough when it mattered most.
As the championship moves on, Ferrari face a crossroads. They must adapt quickly, find performance in changing conditions, and avoid costly errors if they want to challenge the frontrunners. In Leclerc’s words: “We’ve got to react.”
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