Baku race updates: Lewis Hamilton passes Lando Norris to move behind Charles Leclerc

Lewis Hamilton overtakes Lando Norris for sixth in Baku

Lewis Hamilton moved up to sixth place in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after taking advantage of a mistake from Lando Norris and completing a clean pass on the main straight. The move brought the Ferrari driver directly behind team-mate Charles Leclerc as the race reached lap 17 of 51.

The opportunity developed one lap earlier when Lando Norris ran deep into Turn Five. That mistake allowed Lewis Hamilton to close right onto the McLaren, putting the seven-time world champion in position to attack as they headed towards the next lap.

Norris mistake opens the door for Lewis Hamilton

Once close enough, Lewis Hamilton used the slipstream and Overtake Mode to complete the move down Baku’s main straight. The Ferrari driver was able to ease ahead of Lando Norris rather than having to force the issue under braking, converting the opportunity created by the previous-lap mistake.

The pass promoted Lewis Hamilton into sixth place and changed the immediate order around Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc now running directly ahead of his team-mate. That gave the Scuderia both cars together in the same part of the field at that stage of the race.

The key detail in the move was the sequence that created it. Lando Norris’ error at Turn Five did not result in an immediate overtake, but it reduced the gap enough for Lewis Hamilton to stay close and then use the aerodynamic benefit of the slipstream on the following straight.

Ferrari cars run together after the overtake

For Ferrari, the overtake meant Lewis Hamilton had recovered one position and moved into the wheel tracks of Charles Leclerc. The supplied information does not establish whether the two Ferrari drivers were on the same strategy, running the same tyre compound or showing comparable pace, so no conclusions can yet be drawn about what their proximity might mean later in the race.

What was clear on lap 17 was that Lewis Hamilton had successfully turned Lando Norris’ small mistake into a position gain. With the McLaren dropping behind and Charles Leclerc immediately ahead, the British driver had improved his track position without needing a prolonged wheel-to-wheel fight.

The move also underlined how quickly a small error could be punished on Baku’s long acceleration zones. In this case, the Turn Five overshoot gave Lewis Hamilton the chance to stay attached to Lando Norris before using the main straight, slipstream and Overtake Mode to complete the pass for sixth.