Lewis Hamilton called on Ferrari to investigate its performance deficit after finishing sixth in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with straight-line speed and energy deployment emerging as his biggest concerns in Baku. Max Verstappen independently reached a similar conclusion from the Red Bull cockpit, identifying Ferrari’s weakness on the straights after the race.
The result extended Hamilton’s run without a podium to six Grands Prix. Starting seventh, the 41-year-old managed to clear Lando Norris but was unable to resist Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli as the race developed. His most recent top-three finish remains the British Grand Prix in early July, making the current sequence his most difficult stretch of the season.
Lewis Hamilton struggled with Ferrari balance and straight-line speed
Hamilton’s difficulties were not limited to one area of the SF-26. Before the start, the British driver had requested the same front-wing angle he used during FP2, but he subsequently reported understeer on six separate occasions during the Grand Prix. Ferrari’s Baku practice analysis had already highlighted deployment and setup limitations that remained important considerations going into the race.
The greater frustration, however, concerned Ferrari’s performance under acceleration. After Max Verstappen moved ahead, Hamilton reported that rival cars were gaining on the Scuderia too easily on the straights. He also questioned why competitors appeared able to deploy electrical energy in sections where Ferrari could not, and was highly critical of the team’s deployment schedule.
His assessment pointed towards how Ferrari was using the battery around the Baku lap rather than simply a general complaint about grip. The difference in outright speed can also be explored through the ScuderiaFans F1 Top Speed Comparison, which tracks recorded maximum-speed differences between Formula 1 cars.
Max Verstappen noticed the same Ferrari weakness
Hamilton was not alone in identifying the problem. After the Grand Prix, Max Verstappen told race winner George Russell that Ferrari had been weak on the straights. The Red Bull driver’s observation reinforced Hamilton’s impression from inside the cockpit that straight-line performance had become a significant limitation during the race.
Ferrari had already encountered signs of an uneven performance profile across the Baku weekend. Earlier analysis of the SF-26 showed that its Azerbaijan performance varied considerably between cornering and acceleration phases, making the race-day complaints particularly relevant.
Safety Car left Ferrari with few strategic options
Strategy offered little opportunity to compensate. Alex Albon’s crash triggered a Safety Car and led most of the field towards the pit lane. Hamilton had already passed the pit entry when Ferrari informed him of the neutralisation and immediately questioned whether the team had been monitoring the developing situation.
An extended stoppage ultimately allowed Ferrari to double stack both cars, limiting the strategic damage. Even so, Hamilton’s radio traffic reflected the level of frustration inside the cockpit. Later, when race engineer Carlo Santi offered guidance on where additional lap time might be found, the seven-time world champion responded that it was no longer important because he considered himself simply too slow.
Hamilton asks Ferrari to investigate Azerbaijan deficit
Charles Leclerc eventually finished fourth, narrowly keeping Kimi Antonelli behind, while Hamilton crossed the line in sixth. Once the race was over, the British driver asked Ferrari to examine why its pace had been so poor. He reported a lack of grip and front-end performance and acknowledged that the weekend as a whole had not been a good one.
The difficult result adds another issue for Ferrari to understand as its attention increasingly extends towards the next stage of the project. Hamilton has already discussed the importance of what comes next for the Scuderia, with 2027 becoming an increasingly significant test for Ferrari.
There was at least some championship consolation. Lando Norris retired from the race, allowing Hamilton to retain third place in the Drivers’ Championship despite his sixth-place finish. Ferrari also increased its advantage over McLaren in the fight for second in the Constructors’ Championship after the reigning champions failed to score in Azerbaijan.
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