After a Sunday break, Formula 1 returns to action for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. Ferrari comes into the weekend disappointed after missing the podium at Monza. The Baku City Circuit, with its high-speed layout, presents an opportunity for Charles Leclerc, who has impressively claimed four consecutive pole positions here. However, the Monegasque driver has yet to convert any of these into a race victory on a track he himself has described as a favorite.
SF-25 shows a decent base
The Ferrari drivers began the session on Soft tires. For the initial lap, engineers instructed them to keep the DRS closed in order to gather aerodynamic and drag data. Lewis Hamilton made an error in the third sector, running wide into the escape road. Early observations showed significant rotation through the second sector, amplified by a track still lacking rubber and contributing to understeer on the SF-25.
The second run brought slightly more positive signs, with overall grip improving. From the team radio, Bozzi advised optimizing the approach through turn 11 after a cooldown lap. Curves 5 and 6 still appeared problematic, where the McLaren seemed to hold an advantage. Overall, the car’s balance looked reasonable, but faster laps would be needed to properly evaluate the potential.
Exiting turn 16, debris on the track—specifically a dislodged kerb—forced race control to halt the session with a red flag for cleaning. Both Ferraris returned to the pits. Although the team offered slight adjustments to front downforce, neither Lewis Hamilton nor Charles Leclerc felt it was necessary to make changes at that stage.
Lewis clips the wall
The track stoppage lasted longer than expected, as officials struggled to repair the damaged section. Meanwhile, questions arose over whether the two Ferrari drivers were running different aerodynamic setups. At first glance, the wings appeared identical for both cars. With twenty minutes remaining, the track reopened and the teams fitted Soft tires once again.
From the opening laps, the SF-25 showed particular difficulty in 90-degree corners, especially evident in Charles Leclerc’s car. Lewis Hamilton appeared more stable, though his pace was less aggressive. After a tire cooldown lap, the drivers attempted another run. On this attempt, Hamilton touched the wall, prompting race engineer Adami to call him into the pits to check damage to the front-left side.
This unexpected incident interrupted Hamilton’s program and slowed Ferrari’s race-pace evaluation. After a brief pause, he returned to the track on fresh Soft tires, while Leclerc increased his pace, briefly claiming second place in the provisional times. Direct comparison with Lando Norris highlighted Ferrari’s limitations in the first two sectors, with turns 2, 4, 8, and 12 proving particularly challenging and allowing McLaren to gain time.
Ferrari still struggles with tires
Overall, McLaren appeared to enjoy superior grip, despite some imbalance in the car. Ferrari, in contrast, lost time in the first two sectors and only partially recovered in the final section. Analyses suggested that the SF-25’s underperformance was mainly linked to tire management. Clearer insights are expected in the next practice session after the enforced break.
As usual, McLaren started strong, despite Oscar Piastri experiencing power unit issues. The Australian driver limited the damage thanks to the roughly twenty-minute session suspension caused by the dislodged kerb. Baku has a history of such unexpected incidents, recalling the 2019 jump of a manhole cover that affected George Russell’s Williams. These are the inherent challenges of racing on a street circuit.
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