Lewis Hamilton has shared his thoughts on Ferrari’s performance during the practice sessions ahead of the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, highlighting the challenges the team faced in keeping pace with rivals. While Ferrari showed promising speed in the first session, the second practice revealed a growing gap to the front runners.
In Free Practice 1, Hamilton and his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc finished third and fourth respectively, trailing the fastest time by around four tenths of a second on medium Pirelli tyres. However, the situation changed in Free Practice 2, where Hamilton ended fifth and Leclerc fourth, with their deficit to the leaders increasing to over a second. Hamilton noted that other teams had made further progress during the session, while Ferrari had not introduced significant car changes.
The Baku street circuit has long been a tough venue for Ferrari, and Hamilton pointed out specific difficulties related to tyre performance. He explained that getting the tyres into their optimal operating window remained a challenge, which affected overall pace. Additionally, Ferrari’s straight-line speed was seen as inferior to that of Mercedes, a gap Hamilton aimed to reduce as the weekend progressed.
Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur acknowledged the inherent challenges of the Baku circuit and the team’s historical difficulties there. He emphasized the importance of focusing on extracting the best possible performance from the car despite these obstacles. Meanwhile, McLaren demonstrated strong pace during the sessions but encountered issues completing laps, making slipstreaming a valuable tactic at this high-speed venue.
Hamilton’s reflections underline a moment where Ferrari is working to close the gap to its competitors in the practice phase of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend. The comments provide insight into the technical and performance hurdles the team faces, particularly regarding tyre management and straight-line speed.
This assessment offers a clear snapshot of Ferrari’s position during the practice sessions, with Hamilton’s observations highlighting areas for improvement as the team seeks to enhance its competitiveness on the Baku street circuit.