Hamilton rues tyre woes as Ferrari fail to threaten podium in Baku
Lewis Hamilton admitted he had endured "a pretty bad race" after the seven-time world champion finished sixth for Ferrari at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a weekend that offered few positives for the Scuderia on the tight and unforgiving Baku City Circuit.
Ferrari, who have now gone a decade without a victory in Baku, never appeared able to fight for the podium on raw pace. Charles Leclerc, a noted Baku specialist who has taken four pole positions at the track, started second but slipped back to fifth within the opening five laps and ultimately recovered to finish fourth. Hamilton, who began the race in sixth, finished where he started after a day spent wrestling with his tyres and carrying out just one successful overtake.
Hamilton explicitly pointed to grip problems as the defining factor in his race. He said the tyres "simply wouldn't grip properly" in the final stint, adding that he had "lacked the pace" to make progress through the field. He reported a brief period in the race when the rubber came alive, allowing him to match the pace of cars ahead, only for the subsequent set to return to sliding behaviour.
"From my point of view, it was a pretty bad race; I didn’t really make any progress... I simply lacked the pace today."
The Briton's only recorded passing move came at the expense of Lando Norris. Even that single manoeuvre was scant consolation as he had no answer to the charging Kimi Antonelli, who moved ahead during the race. Hamilton, the winner of the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, struggled to find consistent performance across the weekend and lamented an inability to keep up with the leaders while also defending from those behind.
What happened for Ferrari in Baku?
Ferrari's weekend in Baku underlined an uncomfortable truth for the team: on a circuit where Leclerc has previously excelled, the SF performance did not translate into a genuine challenge for victory. Race incidents and tyre performance conspired against their hopes.
- Charles Leclerc: started 2nd, fell to 5th in early laps, finished 4th.
- Lewis Hamilton: started 6th, finished 6th, one overtaking move recorded.
- Ferrari: showed limited pace relative to rivals and struggled for tyre consistency.
Hamilton described a weekend-long difficulty getting the tyres to work. He said that during the first phase of the race the tyres began to offer grip and allowed him to post competitive times; however, after the mandatory tyre change they failed to provide the same performance and left him "sliding around" for the remainder of the race.
| Driver | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| Charles Leclerc | 2 | 4 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 6 | 6 |
Local interest and next steps
For readers in Hamilton, the result will carry familiar mixed emotions. The name signposts attention, but the outcome offered little to cheer. Hamilton's frank assessment was revealing — even an elite driver and experienced race-winner can be left frustrated when machinery and tyres do not align with the demands of a street circuit.
Ferrari will now face questions about their competitiveness across varying circuits. Baku, with its long straights and tight walls, is a unique test; nonetheless, the Italian team’s inability to produce a credible podium challenge here will renew scrutiny of set-up and strategy choices. For Hamilton personally, the weekend served as a reminder that even established champions must contend with unpredictable race elements and occasional weekends where progress is limited.
As the season progresses, fans will watch to see whether Ferrari can adjust and whether Hamilton can find more favourable conditions to demonstrate the pace he and supporters expect. For now, Baku remains another weekend of frustration for both driver and team.
