Ferrari endured another difficult weekend at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Baku once again exposing the limitations of the SF-26. Charles Leclerc finished fourth after securing a front-row starting position in Friday’s qualifying session, while Lewis Hamilton came home sixth after qualifying seventh.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix result reflected a race in which both Ferrari drivers were confronted with a circuit that amplified the weaknesses of their car. Their post-race comments largely reinforced the concerns that had already emerged around the Maranello team’s performance during the weekend.
Ferrari reaches a stalemate after the Azerbaijan GP
Ferrari’s problems are not limited to the power unit. The team can no longer focus exclusively on closing an engine deficit that now appears extremely difficult to recover. Charles Leclerc confirmed that both Ferrari cars were using power units equipped with ADUO 2 in Baku, yet the SF-26 was still unable to match the performance of its main rivals.
More concerningly, Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari has also lost some of the strengths that previously helped compensate for its deficiencies, particularly through the more technical sections and corners. The trend had already emerged in the SF-26 telemetry analysis from Baku, where Ferrari’s former cornering advantage was becoming increasingly difficult to identify.
Charles Leclerc made the situation clear: “The others have caught us in the corners as well.” The Ferrari driver also stressed that this is no longer the time simply to analyse, understand, observe and wait to see how the competition develops. In his view, Ferrari now needs to act, roll up its sleeves and get to work.
That is precisely what Ferrari must now do. The team appears to have reached something of a stalemate and needs to reorganise its ideas before determining whether the remaining upgrades planned between now and the end of the season can help it regain the position of second-fastest force. Ferrari’s final major upgrade is expected to arrive in Austin, but regardless of that package, the team must understand whether meaningful progress is still possible before the end of the campaign or whether it will once again have to accept the role of chasing its rivals.
Charles Leclerc confirms Ferrari used ADUO 2 in Baku
Speaking to Sky Sport after the race, Charles Leclerc once again found himself analysing a disappointing Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver nevertheless confirmed that his car, like Lewis Hamilton’s, was fitted with the ADUO 2 power unit, an important detail given the performance Mercedes continued to produce with ADUO 1.
“Regarding the technical side of the power unit, I thought it was already known: as we have always said, all the engines remain in the pool that we can use during the weekend,” Charles Leclerc explained.
The Azerbaijan weekend had already underlined Ferrari’s difficulties with hybrid deployment and straight-line performance, even after the team made progress during its final Baku practice adjustments. Those limitations became even more significant during the race.
Charles Leclerc continued: “We really did everything we could, but unfortunately there was very little we could do to defend on the straights. Even on normal laps without a slipstream, we were losing far too much time in a straight line. That said, the problem is not only top speed: the other teams are also making big steps forward in the corners and they have now become extremely fast. We need to work hard and there is no time to waste. It is not as though we have simply been watching during the season, but now we need to react strongly, because once your rivals build a significant advantage with their upgrades, it becomes extremely difficult to catch them again.”
The scale of Ferrari’s straight-line problem can also be examined through the F1 Top Speed Comparison, which allows the recorded speeds of Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and their rivals to be compared across the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend.
Lewis Hamilton lacks confidence ahead of Ferrari’s next races
While Charles Leclerc focused heavily on Ferrari’s technical difficulties in Azerbaijan, Lewis Hamilton turned more of his attention towards the races ahead. The seven-time world champion appeared disappointed in front of the television cameras, with echoes of the difficult moments from 2025 when he often struggled to explain both the car’s performance and his lack of feeling behind the wheel.
Rather than concentrating solely on what had happened in Baku, Lewis Hamilton looked towards the upcoming rounds and admitted that considerable uncertainty remains. Some circuit layouts could suit Ferrari better, including Singapore, but at this stage there are still major question marks over how competitive the SF-26 can be.
There is also a growing impression, based on some recent comments and team-radio exchanges, that Lewis Hamilton may not be fully aligned with the Ferrari pit wall. This remains only an impression rather than a confirmed situation, and there is no official evidence of a breakdown in the relationship.
Lewis Hamilton’s comment after Friday’s running — “Nothing worked? It happens. I’m used to it” — could suggest frustration over specific changes he has requested from Ferrari that may not have produced the desired response. Once again, however, this remains an interpretation rather than a confirmed development, and the situation may become clearer as the championship progresses. The latest developments surrounding the seven-time world champion can be followed through the Lewis Hamilton Ferrari news archive.
Speaking to Sky Sport after the race, Lewis Hamilton explained: “There isn’t one single isolated problem. Unfortunately, there are several different aspects that coincide and add up at the same time.”
Looking ahead to the remainder of the season, Lewis Hamilton admitted: “At the moment I don’t have that feeling of great confidence, even though the race circumstances will be slightly different. It could be less of a problem there to get the tyres working in the correct temperature window, but those tracks also have some fairly long straights.”
Lewis Hamilton concluded: “If we consider the power the other teams showed this weekend, it certainly won’t be easy. Singapore definitely has fewer straights and it is possible that we could be a little more competitive, but we will only know once we get out on track.”
Ferrari’s next challenge comes at Sepang
The next round will be the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at Sepang International Circuit, which returns to the Formula 1 calendar after an absence of almost a decade. The circuit will provide another demanding technical test for both the drivers and their cars because its layout combines technical sections with high-speed stretches.
Mercedes is likely to be a major reference point once again, but the greater question concerns Ferrari’s place in the competitive order. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will find out whether they are still primarily chasing the Brackley team or whether McLaren and Red Bull will also remain ahead. The complete sequence of upcoming rounds can be followed on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar.
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