Ferrari’s run without a podium stretched to five races at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc finishing fourth and Lewis Hamilton sixth in Baku. The post-race Ferrari team radio reflected a difficult afternoon for both drivers, as Charles Leclerc highlighted the team’s vulnerability on the straights while Lewis Hamilton called for answers over Ferrari’s lack of pace and grip.
Charles Leclerc had started from second place but was forced to settle for fourth, having been unable to resist the attacks from his rivals during the opening stages of the race. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, started sixth and also crossed the line in sixth, completing only one overtake – on Lando Norris – before being unable to defend against Andrea Kimi Antonelli as the Mercedes driver recovered from further down the order.
Ferrari misses the podium again at the Azerbaijan GP
Baku therefore became another race without a podium for Ferrari, extending the team’s streak to five consecutive Grands Prix. Charles Leclerc’s front-row starting position ultimately produced fourth place, while Lewis Hamilton ended the race exactly where he had started.
The difficulties experienced by both Ferrari drivers were also reflected in their messages after the chequered flag. A more detailed breakdown of the SF-26’s performance is available in our Ferrari Baku race analysis.
Charles Leclerc highlights Ferrari’s straight-line vulnerability
After Charles Leclerc crossed the line in fourth place, race engineer Bryan Bozzi confirmed the result over the radio.
Bryan Bozzi: “That’s P4.”
Charles Leclerc: “Thank you. We’re lacking a bit of pace at the moment. Unfortunately, we’re a bit vulnerable on the straights. We’ll talk about it in detail afterwards, thank you.”
Bryan Bozzi: “Thank you.”
Charles Leclerc’s reference to Ferrari being vulnerable on the straights underlined one of his main concerns after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The relevant recorded straight-line performance can be explored through the F1 Top Speed Comparison.
Lewis Hamilton wants answers after difficult Ferrari race
Lewis Hamilton was similarly dissatisfied after finishing sixth. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion pointed to Ferrari’s lack of grip and front-end performance and made clear that the team needed to understand why its race pace had been so limited.
Lewis Hamilton: “We need to understand why we were so slow today. We had no grip. We had no front end. But anyway, thank you for continuing to try, guys. Overall, it wasn’t a great weekend.”
Carlo Santi: “OK Lewis, thank you.”
The fourth and sixth places leave Ferrari with another weekend of points but no podium, extending a run that has now reached five consecutive races. For Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, the immediate focus after Baku is on understanding the performance limitations that prevented Ferrari from converting a front-row start into a top-three finish.
