The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix left Ferrari with very little consolation. Charles Leclerc finished fourth, while Lewis Hamilton came home sixth after a difficult race in which he was never able to become involved in the battle for the podium.
On a circuit that was never expected to suit the characteristics of the SF-26 particularly well, Ferrari managed only to limit the damage. But for a team aiming to return to Formula 1 World Championship contention, the result in Baku represents an important warning about its current level of competitiveness.
Mercedes and Red Bull filled the positions ahead of the two Ferraris, with George Russell taking victory ahead of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. The direct comparison with Ferrari’s main rivals therefore delivered an uncomfortable verdict for the Maranello team.
George Russell converts Baku pole as Ferrari never enters podium fight
George Russell converted pole position into his third victory of the season, remaining composed through two Safety Car restarts late in the race. His weekend had already begun from a position of strength after he secured Baku pole ahead of a front-row Ferrari.
Max Verstappen continued to apply pressure to the Mercedes driver until the end but ultimately had to settle for second place. Isack Hadjar completed the podium, rounding off an almost perfect day for Red Bull.
Ferrari, by contrast, never appeared to have the race pace required to fight for anything more. The SF-26 remained in a defensive position rather than becoming a genuine factor in the battle for victory or the podium.
Charles Leclerc extracts the maximum with fourth place
Starting near the front of the grid, Charles Leclerc did everything possible to protect fourth place. The Monegasque driver limited Ferrari’s losses on an afternoon when the SF-26 once again showed weaknesses, particularly in race pace and tyre management.
The result prevented Ferrari’s weekend from becoming even more damaging, but fourth place remained a long way from the team’s expectations. The difficulties were consistent with the weaknesses already highlighted during the weekend, when SF-26 telemetry exposed Ferrari’s loss of performance in key areas of the Baku lap.
Lewis Hamilton struggles as Kimi Antonelli moves ahead
Lewis Hamilton endured an even more complicated race. The seven-time world champion finished only sixth and was unable to match the pace of the leading group, while Kimi Antonelli also moved ahead of him to take fifth place.
That position change provided a clear snapshot of Ferrari’s situation in Azerbaijan. Mercedes appeared stronger overall both over a single lap and in its management of the race, leaving the Maranello team unable to respond consistently across the weekend.
The wider competitive gap can also be followed through the Ferrari vs F1 Rivals statistics, which track the Scuderia’s performance relative to Mercedes, Red Bull, McLaren and the rest of the grid.
Red Bull finishes comfortably ahead of Ferrari in Baku
One of the most concerning aspects of Ferrari’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend was its direct comparison with Red Bull. Max Verstappen finished second and Isack Hadjar third, while both Ferraris remained behind them without ever having a realistic opportunity to attack the podium.
Ferrari knew that the characteristics of Baku were unlikely to showcase the SF-26 at its best, but the expectation was at least to remain close enough to its rivals to stay involved in the fight. Instead, the performance deficit appeared clear over the course of the race.
Mercedes’ strength has also become an increasingly important reference in the 2026 season, with the scale of the W17’s advantage examined in more detail in GP-News’ analysis of Mercedes’ 2026 performance.
Final 2026 Azerbaijan GP classification
- George Russell — Mercedes — Winner
- Max Verstappen — Red Bull — +0.196
- Isack Hadjar — Red Bull — +10.704
- Charles Leclerc — Ferrari — +14.136
- Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes — +14.512
- Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari — +22.382
- Arvid Lindblad — Racing Bulls — +31.159
- Esteban Ocon — Haas — +31.189
- Oliver Bearman — Haas — +31.929
- Carlos Sainz — Williams — +32.416
- Nico Hulkenberg — Audi — +33.231
- Liam Lawson — Racing Bulls — +34.013
- Gabriel Bortoleto — Audi — +34.230
- Oscar Piastri — McLaren — +36.401
- Sergio Perez — Cadillac — +41.400
- Valtteri Bottas — Cadillac — Retired
- Franco Colapinto — Alpine — Retired
- Pierre Gasly — Alpine — Retired
- Lando Norris — McLaren — Retired
- Alexander Albon — Williams — Retired
- Fernando Alonso — Aston Martin — Retired
- Lance Stroll — Aston Martin — Retired
Ferrari’s Azerbaijan GP result is not enough
Baku was expected to be a weekend of damage limitation for Ferrari, but the concern is that the Scuderia appeared to accept the role of fourth-fastest team too readily. The SF-26 struggled on a circuit that exposed its limitations, yet finishing only fourth and sixth — behind both Red Bulls and one Mercedes — remains a difficult outcome to consider satisfactory.
Limiting the damage can make sense from a championship perspective, but a team seeking to return to winning titles cannot afford to remain passive while its direct rivals collect victories and podium finishes. Ferrari now turns its attention to Singapore, where the team will be expected to provide a more convincing response in terms of outright competitiveness.
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