Ferrari ended Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP2 in fourth place with Charles Leclerc, 1.126 seconds behind George Russell’s benchmark, while Lewis Hamilton finished fifth at 1.318 seconds from the Mercedes driver. The gaps underline the SF-26’s familiar difficulty on Baku’s long straights, although an important power-unit detail involving Lewis Hamilton means the raw times may not tell the complete story ahead of qualifying.
The opening practice session had already produced plenty of discussion both on and off the track. There had been speculation that Charles Leclerc had returned to Brembo brakes, but that suggestion was subsequently denied. The Monegasque driver therefore continues to use the Carbon Industrie system introduced during the season after the problems he experienced from the Canadian Grand Prix onwards.
There was also attention on the ADUO 2 power unit damaged in Charles Leclerc’s Monza accident, which was fitted to car number 16 during the morning session. The initial feedback is believed to have been positive, meaning Charles Leclerc should not need to take a penalty. That is particularly significant at a circuit where Ferrari’s Baku energy-deployment work has already emerged as one of the central technical themes of the weekend.
On track, the SF-26 had looked competitive through the opening two sectors before losing ground along Baku’s extremely long final straight, where the deficit to the Mercedes-powered cars became more evident. Ferrari’s low-drag SF-26 configuration for Baku is designed to limit that weakness, but FP2 provided another indication of how demanding the Azerbaijan circuit remains for the Maranello package.
Ferrari Azerbaijan GP FP2: Hamilton runs the ADUO 1 power unit
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc began FP2 on new medium tyres. After his first flying attempt, Charles Leclerc moved into third position, around seven tenths behind Max Verstappen’s benchmark. Lewis Hamilton was seventh at that stage, more than a second away from the Dutch driver.
Charles Leclerc then reported over the radio that he was experiencing an unusual feeling from his SF-26. Race engineer Bryan Bozzi advised him to make adjustments through the steering wheel in an attempt to reduce the micro-locking affecting the Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton subsequently improved and climbed to fourth position, approximately three-quarters of a second away from the fastest time.
Charles Leclerc attempted to lower his own benchmark but was prevented from completing a representative lap by several interruptions. The most significant was a red flag triggered by Arvid Lindblad’s Racing Bulls. With around half an hour remaining, the session resumed and both Ferrari drivers switched to the soft compound for the first time during the day.
Russell opens a large gap as Ferrari struggles for grip
After two preparation laps, Charles Leclerc completed his first flying effort on the soft tyres and initially went fastest, beating Max Verstappen by just 0.020 seconds. Only a few seconds later, however, George Russell crossed the line in his Mercedes and took more than seven tenths out of the Ferrari driver’s time.
Lewis Hamilton also improved on his first flying lap with the soft compound, moving into fourth position around two tenths behind his team-mate. At this stage Ferrari appeared to be struggling with limited grip, with the SF-26 looking relatively nervous and prone to sliding through several corners of the Baku City Circuit.
Federico Albano then explained, based on the available data, that Lewis Hamilton was using the ADUO 1 power-unit specification. Ferrari’s deficit was concentrated particularly on the final straight, although a disadvantage could also be seen across the other full-throttle sections of the lap. The speed differences during the weekend can also be monitored through the ScuderiaFans F1 Top Speed Comparison.
Charles Leclerc appeared to be improving further on another lap, but instead of completing the attempt he returned to the pits.
Ferrari also behind Mercedes on the FP2 long runs
Ferrari began its race-pace simulation with around ten minutes remaining in the session. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton returned to the track using the same sets of tyres from their previous stint to assess the SF-26 over longer runs.
The Maranello team also appeared to be struggling in this area compared with its rivals, although engine modes and fuel loads have to be taken into account when analysing Friday practice data. More specifically, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were initially almost one second away from Mercedes, suggesting the two teams could have been running considerably different programmes.
Only on the final lap did Charles Leclerc match Mercedes’ best time, with the Ferrari driver around one and a half tenths away.
Why Ferrari’s FP2 deficit may not define qualifying in Baku
Despite the difficulties encountered during the two practice sessions, Ferrari can still consider its first day in Azerbaijan reasonably positive. Baku is one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar for the SF-26 because power-unit performance plays such a significant role, particularly across the long acceleration zones and the enormous run towards the finish line.
Mercedes once again confirmed its strength in those conditions, while McLaren and Red Bull also appear to have performance available. It is therefore difficult to make firm predictions about qualifying based purely on Thursday’s times.
The power-unit specification used by Ferrari is another important element when assessing the gaps. Lewis Hamilton appears to have completed FP2 with the first upgraded engine specification, ADUO 1, rather than the newer ADUO 2. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, received encouraging indications from the ADUO 2 unit that had been involved in the Monza accident, reducing the immediate concern over a possible grid penalty.
FP3 should therefore provide a much clearer picture once the teams move closer to their qualifying configurations and engine settings. The final practice session is scheduled for 10:30 tomorrow morning, with the full timetable available in the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix schedule.
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