Christian Horner’s interest in Ferrari is adding another layer of pressure around Fred Vasseur after a difficult Azerbaijan Grand Prix in which the Maranello team once again failed to fight at the front. George Russell dominated in Baku, while Charles Leclerc finished fourth and Lewis Hamilton sixth, leaving Ferrari with only limited positives from the weekend.
George Russell dominates as Max Verstappen applies late pressure
George Russell looked back to his best in Azerbaijan, controlling a Grand Prix that was largely uneventful until two Safety Car periods brought the closing stages to life. Max Verstappen then produced a remarkable late charge, remaining close to the Mercedes for the final 13 laps and repeatedly appearing capable of attempting a move.
The gap often hovered around four to six tenths of a second, but George Russell defended superbly and never gave Max Verstappen a genuine opportunity. The Mercedes driver made no mistakes throughout the weekend and had already underlined his superiority by taking pole position by eight tenths over Charles Leclerc.
George Russell believes he has turned a corner after a series of less convincing performances. The next two race weekends should offer a clearer indication of whether that improvement is sustainable and whether the 66-point deficit to Andrea Kimi Antonelli can still be reduced. With several races remaining, there is still scope for the championship picture to change.
Red Bull shows major progress in Azerbaijan
Mercedes was impressive throughout the Baku weekend, combining strong power delivery on the long main straight with an effective chassis, mechanical package and aerodynamic performance through the corners.
Red Bull also produced one of its strongest weekends. Max Verstappen finished second, while Isack Hadjar delivered an excellent third place after a difficult run of three races. The result highlighted the progress of both the car and a power unit programme still in the early stages of its development.
There is inevitably a question over what Max Verstappen might have achieved had he started from the front row rather than eighth. Laurent Mekies also had to manage Isack Hadjar’s aggression at certain stages of the race, although with Max Verstappen in the team the hierarchy was clear.
For Andrea Kimi Antonelli, George Russell’s strongest weekend of the year coincided with one of his most difficult. A qualifying error left Andrea Kimi Antonelli 16th on the grid, although the Safety Car periods helped his recovery and allowed him to pass Lewis Hamilton before finishing fifth. In a season in which mistakes have affected several drivers, the result still represented useful damage limitation, even if the pressure of a title fight is becoming increasingly evident.
Ferrari leaves Baku with little to celebrate
Ferrari’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix was far less encouraging. Charles Leclerc finished fourth and Lewis Hamilton sixth, with both drivers effectively out of contention for the leading positions throughout the race.
There were two positives. Charles Leclerc showed good pace during the middle phase of the Grand Prix, while Ferrari gained points on McLaren, which failed to score after mistakes from its drivers and, potentially, the complexity created by introducing several updates at once.
Those are limited consolations for a team that began the year targeting the World Championship but continues to watch its rivals make progress. Ferrari’s changing position relative to Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren can also be followed through the Ferrari vs F1 Rivals statistics.
Christian Horner’s Ferrari interest increases pressure on Fred Vasseur
Against that sporting backdrop, Christian Horner’s recent comments have added another sensitive element to the situation around Fred Vasseur. The former Red Bull team principal has opened the door to the possibility of working for Ferrari, increasing speculation around the team’s future leadership.
Fred Vasseur ultimately knows that results, rather than media discussion, will determine the future of any team principal. That principle applies throughout professional sport, and Ferrari’s ambitions at the beginning of the season inevitably make the current lack of results more significant.
Christian Horner has long been viewed favourably by Ferrari president John Elkann, and the comments made to The Times are unlikely to reduce the pressure surrounding Fred Vasseur. At the same time, the Ferrari team principal must contend with the frustration that has built around Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, as well as the expectations of those managing the Prancing Horse.
Ferrari’s problems extend beyond the power unit
The discussion, however, cannot stop with criticism of Ferrari’s power unit. Other technical and management factors are also limiting the SF-26, widening responsibility beyond Fred Vasseur alone and towards broader areas of the organisation.
Those are delicate and potentially decisive factors that Christian Horner would also have to consider if his ambitions of working in Italy were ever to become something concrete. For now, Ferrari finds itself under growing pressure, with attention firmly focused on who will make the first move and whether the coming weeks could yet produce an unexpected development.
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