Ferrari race pace analysis: SF-26 0.66s off George Russell’s Mercedes W17 in Baku

Ferrari’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix race pace was substantially further from the front than the finishing order alone might suggest, with Charles Leclerc averaging 0.66 seconds per lap slower than the benchmark set by George Russell. Lewis Hamilton was another step back at 0.98 seconds off Russell, leaving the SF-26 well behind Mercedes and Red Bull on the underlying Baku pace comparison.

The most concerning element for Ferrari is that Charles Leclerc spent much of the race running in relatively clear air. That makes his deficit particularly relevant when assessing the car’s performance over a Grand Prix distance, even allowing for the usual complications created by tyre life, fuel load, traffic and different race phases.

Ferrari Baku race pace leaves clear gap to Mercedes and Red Bull

George Russell produced the strongest mean race pace at 107.08 seconds, with Max Verstappen next at 107.27, just 0.20 seconds behind. However, Max Verstappen’s figure needs context because his race was heavily affected by running behind Oscar Piastri and George Russell, meaning Red Bull’s ultimate pace may not have been fully expressed by the average.

Charles Leclerc’s 107.74-second mean placed him fourth in the driver ranking and 0.66 seconds behind George Russell. Lewis Hamilton averaged 108.06 seconds, putting the second Ferrari 0.98 seconds away from the benchmark and 0.32 seconds behind Charles Leclerc.

That internal gap should not be treated as a pure driver comparison because the race-pace averages were influenced by each driver’s circumstances. Even so, the broader Ferrari picture is difficult to ignore: neither SF-26 was close to the pace level established at the front.

Ferrari ahead of McLaren, but still a long way from the benchmark

The pit-corrected team comparison adds an important layer. Mercedes was the reference at 0.00, with Red Bull just 0.20 seconds behind. Ferrari followed at +0.66, while McLaren was slightly further back at +0.78.

On that measure, Ferrari therefore held a 0.12-second advantage over McLaren but remained 0.46 seconds adrift of Red Bull and 0.66 seconds behind Mercedes. That is a sizeable separation at the front of the field, particularly because Baku placed such a premium on sustained performance over a full race distance.

Oscar Piastri’s numbers also require caution. The McLaren driver had been only marginally quicker than Charles Leclerc before his lock-up, according to the race analysis, before struggling afterwards. His final 0.78-second average therefore does not describe one consistent level of performance throughout the Grand Prix.

Oliver Bearman stands out in the midfield

Behind the leading four teams, Oliver Bearman produced the strongest midfield pace at 108.80 seconds, equivalent to a 1.72-second deficit to George Russell. Haas consequently headed the midfield group in the pit-corrected team comparison.

Racing Bulls followed at +1.96, Audi at +2.06, while Williams and Cadillac were considerably further back at +2.48 and +2.49 respectively.

Williams’ underlying pace was particularly weak. Carlos Sainz averaged 109.19 seconds, 2.12 seconds per lap slower than George Russell in the driver comparison. His eventual points result was helped by the Safety Car circumstances, after which he was able to remain in position long enough to convert the opportunity despite the lack of underlying pace.

Why Ferrari’s numbers matter more than the finishing position

For Ferrari, the central concern is not simply that Mercedes topped the race-pace ranking. It is the size of the gap. Charles Leclerc was more than half a second per lap away from George Russell despite enjoying significant periods without traffic, while Lewis Hamilton was close to a full second from the benchmark on average.

The data does not prove that Ferrari will carry the same deficit to another circuit, nor does it isolate a single technical cause. What it does show is that in Baku, over the race distance measured here, the SF-26 did not have the pace to operate at the level of Mercedes or Red Bull. For a team trying to remain in the fight at the front, that is the number that matters most after Azerbaijan.