Charles Leclerc arrives at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix chasing a fifth pole position in Baku, but the Ferrari driver admits repeating his previous qualifying success will be considerably more difficult this year. Complicating the picture further is the unresolved possibility of a power unit change, which could leave the Monegasque facing a grid penalty at one of his favourite circuits.
Baku has produced some of Charles Leclerc’s strongest qualifying performances but also some major disappointments on race day. He has taken four pole positions at the circuit without converting any of them into victory, a record he would like to change this weekend. Ferrari’s 2026 characteristics, however, create a difficult balance: the SF-26 has struggled more over a single lap while proving more solid and competitive over longer race runs.
Charles Leclerc waits on Ferrari’s Baku engine penalty decision
The biggest uncertainty ahead of the weekend concerns the power unit. Charles Leclerc could be forced to take fresh components and therefore incur a grid penalty, potentially making his pursuit of a first Baku victory considerably harder.
The ADUO-2 engine fitted at Monza is believed to be in usable condition following the accident at Parabolica, based on the checks carried out by Ferrari’s engineers at the factory. A definitive assessment, however, is not expected until Leclerc actually runs the unit on track during the opening practice sessions.
Even if the Monza engine proves fully available, Ferrari could still decide to introduce another unit as part of a more aggressive power-unit management strategy for the closing phase of the championship. The decision is therefore not simply a question of whether the previous engine survived the crash. It also involves how the Scuderia wants to distribute its available mileage over the remaining races, particularly at a circuit where energy deployment and straight-line performance will be especially important.
Leclerc refuses to reveal which power unit Ferrari will use
Charles Leclerc did little to resolve the uncertainty when asked about the situation during the pre-event press conference in Baku.
“Take a penalty and then do what Antonelli did at Monza? Well, Kimi produced a great recovery, but I don’t know whether it would be realistic for us to do something similar if we were to receive a grid penalty. The Monza engine is currently available and we can use it, although I don’t want to go into the details of our programme by explaining which power unit we will use. It is a strategic option that we don’t want to reveal right now, but that engine is in the pool of units we can fit, and that is something positive for us.”
Ferrari will therefore keep its options open into the first sessions of the weekend rather than committing publicly to one route. With overtaking possible in Baku but qualifying position still highly valuable, any grid penalty would inevitably alter Leclerc’s route through the weekend. The full session timetable is available in the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix schedule.
Charles Leclerc admits fifth Baku pole will be harder in 2026
Attention then turned to qualifying, the area in which Ferrari has experienced some of its greatest difficulties this season. Leclerc acknowledged that Baku has traditionally been an exceptional venue for him over one lap, but he does not expect history alone to make Ferrari a pole-position favourite in 2026.
“We are definitely struggling this year, but it is true that if I were at the front in qualifying here, then I would be confident for the race. Before thinking about that, though, I need to prepare the weekend properly, and with this year’s car there seem to be quite a few variables from one weekend to another, including how much you manage to optimise the power unit. Apart from that, Baku is a track I really like and one that has given me plenty of satisfaction in qualifying, but this time it will be more complicated.”
Ferrari’s qualifying challenge has become particularly important because the SF-26 has often appeared stronger over race distances than in extracting maximum performance over a single lap. Readers can follow the underlying one-lap trends through the ScuderiaFans F1 Qualifying Pace & Sector Comparison.
Leclerc rejects theory that Ferrari’s recent problems are circuit-specific
Charles Leclerc also dismissed the suggestion that Ferrari’s difficulties since the summer break have simply been caused by a run of unsuitable circuits. Instead, he believes the competitive picture has changed because rivals have improved while the Scuderia has struggled in specific areas during recent weekends.
“Ferrari’s difficulties linked to the circuits? No, because after the summer break we have now contested several races, so I don’t think it is a track-related issue. I think, rather, that McLaren has made several steps forward and that Mercedes has always been the benchmark, a leading team wherever we go and at any stage of the season. McLaren has become very strong again, while we have struggled with some aspects over the last few weekends, and it is up to us to do a better job.”
That assessment adds to the challenge Ferrari already expected in Azerbaijan, where the characteristics of the SF-26 and the demands of the circuit have created questions over the team’s Baku competitiveness.
Leclerc nevertheless believes the margins between the main contenders have tightened significantly. “The battle is certainly much closer now between Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes, which remains the team to beat,” Charles Leclerc concluded.
For the Monegasque, the immediate task is therefore twofold: establish whether Ferrari can extract enough qualifying performance from the SF-26 to challenge at a circuit where he has repeatedly excelled, and wait for the team’s final call on the power unit. Until both questions are answered, his pursuit of a fifth Baku pole and a first victory in Azerbaijan remains surrounded by considerably more uncertainty than in previous seasons.
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