Friday practice: SF-24 is fast, but Ferrari misses opportunity to fully exploit car’s potential | F1 Baku GP. The first day in Azerbaijan saw a good start for Ferrari.

The first day in Azerbaijan saw a good start for Ferrari, which confirmed its affinity with the characteristics of the Baku circuit. However, it is unlikely that Charles Leclerc would have topped the timesheets without the help of track evolution, against a Red Bull in good form with both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. But be careful when talking about the world champions’ recovery, as the track factor played an even more significant role than the updates brought to Baku.

Ferrari believes
The team from Maranello celebrated the fastest time of the day with Charles Leclerc, accompanied by Carlos Sainz’s fourth-place finish, with the Spaniard improving in the afternoon. The SF-24 also impressed in the race pace simulation on medium tires, with Carlos Sainz able to maintain a slightly better rhythm than Max Verstappen. This confirmed the predictions that Ferrari would feel comfortable on Baku’s 90-degree corners, without the wide, high-speed turns that expose the SF-24’s limits.

While Ferrari’s connection with the Baku track is clear, turning it into a victory will be anything but certain. The team wasted precious minutes, with Charles Leclerc’s morning mistake and the subsequent complications from repairs costing them more than a third of their available track time. As a result, Ferrari missed the opportunity to fully exploit the car’s potential.

The fastest time of the day clashes with the understanding that the improved track conditions benefitting Charles Leclerc were worth far more than the mere six-thousandths he gained over Sergio Perez. The main benchmark at Red Bull remains Max Verstappen, who made an error at the final corner during his attempt. Nevertheless, Ferrari seems to start from a competitive base, with the potential to fight for an important result.

Red Bull’s spark
The world champions’ start laid promising groundwork. Red Bull was competitive in both sessions and with both drivers, enjoying Sergio Perez’s strong form on street circuits, where he tends to excel with a setup that enhances rear traction. Red Bull particularly impressed in the tricky middle sector, where Max Verstappen gained a tenth and a half on the Charles Leclerc – Lewis Hamilton duo and over three-tenths on the rest of the competition, except for his teammate.

However, Friday’s competitiveness should not lead to the illusion that the RB20’s problems have suddenly disappeared. Even in Baku, Max Verstappen continued to complain about understeer, though this time at the apex rather than mid-corner. The short corners on the Azerbaijan track also mask the car’s stability shortcomings, making it easier to find balance. With all corners being of a similar type, there is no need to balance inconsistencies between high-speed and low-speed corners. Therefore, it’s too early to attribute Red Bull’s speed to the significant diffuser modification introduced in Azerbaijan, which remains to be interpreted as an update or an experiment.

Quiet day for McLaren
McLaren was absent from prominent positions on the first day in Baku, not only in qualifying pace but also in Oscar Piastri’s medium tire race simulation, which was less than stellar. The Australian showed some tire degradation at the end of his stint, though he started with a more aggressive approach than his competitors. Overall, expectations were for a higher-performing McLaren, but it’s worth noting that the Woking team has often emerged over the course of the weekend.

Mercedes made a statement with Lewis Hamilton’s second and third times in the two sessions. However, George Russell’s half-hour lost in the afternoon due to a power unit replacement was less positive news, as it deprived them of valuable preparation time. The return to the old floor specification, pre-Spa update, was also concerning. This confirmed doubts that recent developments may have compromised the car’s drivability, even though they provided a fraction more downforce. Lastly, Mercedes surprised by conducting race simulations on hard tires, conserving an additional set of mediums.

Looking toward qualifying
The stage is set for an extremely competitive Saturday at the 6.003-kilometre Baku City Circuit, as has been the case for most of the qualifying sessions so far this season. The ability of teams and drivers to anticipate track evolution, which saw a two-second improvement between the first and second sessions on Friday, will be crucial. Strategies for taking advantage of the slipstream on the long main straight will also be key, having already influenced Friday’s standings.