How Ferrari’s Baku breakdown cost them P2 in the Constructors’
- Elaina Russell
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
Written by Elaina Russell, Edited by Meghana Sree
Ferrari arrived in Azerbaijan with history on their side. Charles Leclerc had taken four consecutive pole positions in Baku, and Lewis Hamilton set the pace during Friday practice. On paper, this was the circuit where Ferrari’s season could steady – a chance to consolidate second in the Constructors’ Championship behind a dominant McLaren.
Instead, they left the City of Winds with just six points and the loss of P2 in the standings to Mercedes.
Qualifying chaos kills momentum
The weekend began promisingly, but Saturday’s session was where it unravelled. Leclerc admitted his crash in Q3 was the “main reason” for the disappointing result, dropping him to tenth on the grid.
Teammate Hamilton was eliminated in Q2 after a strategy misstep left him stranded in 12th. At a track where position can be king, Ferrari had kneecapped themselves before the lights even went out.
Race day reality
Both drivers moved forward but not nearly far enough. Hamilton salvaged eighth after struggling through the first stint, while Leclerc spent much of the race bottled behind Liam Lawson’s Racing Bull, unable to convert his underlying pace. Ninth place was all he could muster.
For Hamilton, the verdict was blunt: “I think overall the pace was not really great and qualifying clearly is key.”
Losing P2 in the Constructors’
The double-points finish was scant consolation. Ferrari’s tally now sits at 286, four points adrift of Mercedes’ 290.
For a team tipped to chase McLaren in 2025, the reality is stark: they’ve gone 22 races without a victory (Carlos Sainz, Mexico 2024), Hamilton is still searching for his first podium in red, and rivals such as McLaren, Red Bull and even former Ferrari driver Sainz in a Williams are banking silverware.
Ferrari’s underlying weaknesses – from ride-height compromises to set-up inconsistencies in cooler conditions – were once again exposed in Azerbaijan.
A circuit where the Scuderia historically thrived became another chapter in a season defined by fluctuation and frustration.
The road ahead
Leclerc was candid in his self-criticism, stressing “we’ve got to react”.
Singapore will provide no respite, with its high-downforce layout and punishing tyre degradation demanding flawless execution, yet like Baku, it has been historically kind to the Italian outfit.
However, as Baku also showed, history doesn’t mean much in the face of present troubles. If Ferrari are to reclaim second in the standings they will need to resolve their Saturday woes before anything else in Singapore.
