F1 | “Hamilton distracted and slow, Ferrari needs to wake up!”
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku left a heavy mark on Ferrari, with a performance far below expectations that pushed the Scuderia down to third place in the Constructors’ standings. After a promising Friday, where the team locked out the top two positions in free practice, qualifying turned everything upside down. Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q2, while Charles Leclerc hit the wall at Turn 15 in the opening minutes of Q3, forcing him to start from tenth on the grid, just ahead of his British teammate in twelfth.
Sunday’s race did not bring redemption. Hamilton crossed the line in eighth place, followed by Leclerc in ninth. The situation could have been reversed, since Leclerc had been expected to regain the position from his teammate, who had earlier benefited from a fresher tyre strategy.
Guenther Steiner attacks Ferrari after Baku disaster
However, Hamilton slowed down too late, only a few meters before the chequered flag, preventing the agreed position swap. The mistake added insult to injury in Azerbaijan, with the two Ferraris beaten not only by Carlos Sainz in the Williams but also by Liam Lawson driving for Racing Bulls.
Speaking on the Red Flags podcast, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner did not mince his words. “The loser in Baku is Ferrari, no doubt. Eighth and ninth place, overtaken by Racing Bulls and Williams. And then that final mess: not letting Charles through, with Lewis distracted and slow to react. They need to wake up, because if they really want to fight for second place in the championship, they won’t manage it like this. Right now, they’re not even second anymore.”
With both Mercedes cars finishing inside the top four, Toto Wolff’s team gained valuable ground, pushing Ferrari down to third place in the Constructors’ standings. The battle for second has now turned into a three-way fight between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, with just 18 points separating the teams.
Steiner also offered his outlook on the upcoming fight, highlighting the challenges ahead: “All three teams are very close, and it’s too early to say who will prevail. If Mercedes wins a race and Kimi Antonelli picks up points, they can move ahead. But I think Red Bull will struggle more: I don’t believe Max will win many more races this year.”
The warning is clear: if Ferrari wants to avoid turning the 2025 season into yet another wasted opportunity, the Scuderia must react immediately and recover the competitiveness that was completely missing in Baku.
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