Sky UK analysts explain why Lewis Hamilton didn’t give position back to Charles Leclerc in Baku. Sky UK analysts defend Lewis Hamilton over the Baku incident with Charles Leclerc.

F1 | Ferrari analysts clear Lewis Hamilton over Baku position swap with Charles Leclerc

The “missed” swap between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc had a very specific reason: the position of a rival driver ready to take advantage played a crucial role. According to Sky UK analysts, the British driver was not at fault for the incident in Baku, which saw him fail to return the position to Charles Leclerc. Lewis Hamilton, alerted to the presence of French driver Isack Hadjar behind his teammate, attempted to give back the position to the #16 without allowing Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls to overtake. The result was a miscalculation of just a few tenths of a second, enough for the Briton to stay ahead and secure the eighth-place finish for himself.

For a team like Ferrari, these are minor, almost negligible details. Two drivers fighting for eighth and ninth place are far from the objectives of the Scuderia, especially if such a battle causes minor disruptions. Maranello, still without a victory in the 2025 season, had to settle for scraps in Azerbaijan—one of the Grand Prix races circled in red on the calendar as favorable to the SF-25.

Starting further up the grid could have changed the outcome, as highlighted by Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur, but the feeling remains that the team lacks that extra edge needed to capitalize on others’ mistakes. In Baku, in particular, on-track management of drivers risks complicating internal relationships. Lewis Hamilton immediately apologized for the missed swap, and Charles Leclerc admitted it was of little importance but added that in the future, the rules will need to be respected.

The presence of Isack Hadjar clears Lewis Hamilton: “He didn’t want to lose ninth position”

The presence of Isack Hadjar, just two seconds behind his teammate, further absolves the seven-time world champion. This analysis comes from Bernie Collins, former McLaren and Aston Martin engineer and now Sky Sports F1 analyst: “Obviously, Lewis was told to give back the position. But he was also informed that Hadjar was only two seconds behind Leclerc.”

“He is on the main straight, traveling at well over 300 km/h, trying to let a driver through, but not the one directly behind him. It’s an incredibly tricky margin to calculate and judge when you’re in the car. I believe this is why he miscalculated by such a small amount. He wanted to give the position back to Leclerc, but not let Hadjar pass as well,” concludes the analyst.