Charles Leclerc’s confirmation that he raced with Ferrari’s ADUO2 engine in Baku reportedly caused frustration for team principal Fred Vasseur, adding another layer to a difficult Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend for the Maranello team.
Ferrari arrived at round 15 of the 2026 Formula 1 season with strong expectations at a circuit where Leclerc has previously excelled in qualifying. Although the Monegasque secured second place on the grid, George Russell comfortably claimed Azerbaijan GP pole for Mercedes with a 1:42.526, leaving Leclerc 0.837 seconds behind.
Charles Leclerc confirms ADUO2 engine use after difficult Baku race
Ferrari’s problems became more evident on race day. Leclerc was unable to respond to the pace of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar as both Red Bull drivers moved ahead, while the gap to Russell underlined how much performance Ferrari was lacking over a full race distance.
When the first Safety Car neutralised the Grand Prix following Alex Albon’s crash, Leclerc was already 17.9 seconds behind Russell. After the second Safety Car period, the Ferrari driver lost another 14.136 seconds to the Mercedes over the following 13 laps.
Verstappen was able to use that second interruption much more effectively, remaining close to Russell and eventually finishing only 0.196 seconds behind the Mercedes driver. Leclerc, by contrast, crossed the line in fourth place. Lewis Hamilton could manage only sixth, completing a disappointing afternoon for Ferrari.
The situation took another turn after the race when Leclerc disclosed that his car had been fitted with Ferrari’s latest engine specification. He then appeared to realise that the information might not have been intended for public confirmation, explaining that he had assumed the specification being used was already known.
That revelation effectively confirmed that Ferrari had returned Leclerc to the ADUO2 power unit in Azerbaijan. Before the weekend, the team had considered several possibilities because there were doubts over the condition of the unit following Leclerc’s heavy Italian Grand Prix crash at Monza.
Ferrari had considered a Baku grid penalty for Charles Leclerc
One option under consideration had been fitting a new engine, a decision that would have resulted in a grid penalty. Ferrari instead managed to avoid that scenario, with Leclerc ultimately escaping a Baku grid drop while Ferrari preserved its ADUO2 option.
The Scuderia had also considered using the older ADUO1 specification. That power unit had originally been introduced at the Austrian Grand Prix and was briefly brought back for the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. Leclerc’s comments after Baku, however, established that Ferrari had chosen the newer ADUO2 specification for Azerbaijan.
According to Top Speed Blog, Fred Vasseur was angered by Leclerc making that information public. Ferrari had reportedly wanted to keep the exact specification of the Monegasque driver’s power unit private, particularly after a race in which the car’s outright performance had fallen short of expectations.
Fred Vasseur tension claims add to wider Ferrari speculation
The reported disagreement comes against a backdrop of further claims about the atmosphere inside Ferrari. Top Speed Blog suggests that both Leclerc and Hamilton are becoming frustrated with Vasseur and believe the team principal is too willing to place responsibility on his drivers rather than accepting blame himself.
Those claims have also become connected to renewed speculation over Vasseur’s long-term position in Maranello. The same report suggests Ferrari could consider replacing the Frenchman at the end of the 2026 season, with Christian Horner, Antonello Coletta and Jerome d’Ambrosio mentioned as possible alternatives.
Horner has attracted particular attention after recently signalling that he would be open to the possibility of joining Ferrari. His name has consequently become part of the discussion around the team principal role, with the former Red Bull boss openly linked with a potential move to Maranello.
For Ferrari, the speculation comes at an awkward moment. Baku had already exposed another performance deficit despite Leclerc starting from the front row, while Hamilton’s sixth place ensured neither car reached the podium. The post-race discussion over Leclerc’s ADUO2 disclosure has now added an internal dimension to a weekend that already raised difficult questions about Ferrari’s competitiveness and direction.
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