F1 Ferrari, setup questions in Baku: was Lewis Hamilton penalized by Charles Leclerc’s configuration?. Ferrari struggled at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.

At the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, Ferrari may have compromised Lewis Hamilton’s race by adopting a setup that leaned towards Charles Leclerc’s preferences. According to English media, and in particular Jamie Chadwick, former driver and now analyst for Sky Sports on The F1 Show podcast, following Leclerc’s setup direction proved to be a mistake. The Maranello team opted for an extremely low-downforce configuration, going against the more loaded setup that had suited the British driver perfectly on Friday.

Qualifying mistakes and perhaps questionable strategic choices contributed to Ferrari’s disappointment in Baku, a track often described as a favorable circuit for the SF-25. Instead, the car slipped behind Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren, but also Williams and Racing Bulls. Something clearly went wrong in the Scuderia’s garage, and English journalists suggest that setup decisions were a key factor.

During Free Practice, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton tested opposite configurations. The Monegasque driver ran with a very low-downforce setup, while the British champion opted for higher downforce. Both cars looked competitive, with Lewis Hamilton in particular delivering a strong performance. However, for the race Ferrari chose to go with the lower-downforce solution.

Ferrari in Baku, half glass full?

“Lewis Hamilton definitely found something on Friday, especially with braking, that gave him more confidence,” explained Jamie Chadwick. “On a track like Baku, that’s very important. But then on Saturday they reverted to Charles’s downforce level and went more in his direction.”

“That decision surprised me a little, especially considering how strong Lewis looked at the start of the weekend. They must have seen something in the data that convinced them to go that way.”

Chadwick also noted that Ferrari can remain optimistic for the upcoming rounds: “They have some good circuits coming, they won last year in Austin and Mexico. Lewis is close to Charles, and they can push each other to bring out more performance from themselves and from the car.”