Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton expressly feels “not good” after the Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2025 in Baku in Baku because he only ranked eighth instead of the hoped-for first podium in red. After the race at “Sky”, Hamilton described this result as “disappointing”.
Hamilton said: “After the second free training, I felt really good in the car. Even on Saturday I was still quite optimistic. In the end, we went in the wrong direction by car.”
After the Grand Prix, Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who became ninth behind Hamilton, also expressed this criticism.
Both Ferrari drivers complained about the lack of speed: “We were simply not at the boys’ level in front of us,” explains Hamilton. This attributes Hamilton to a “not optimal set-up” and incorrect processes.
Model of Williams: Whoever is quick in qualifying …
This Ferrari weakness has already been shown in qualifying. “How important qualifying is, you can see where Williams started and where it came to the finish,” says Hamilton. Of course, he refers to Carlos Sainz: the former Ferrari driver headed his Williams to third place in third place.
According to his own statement in the race, Hamilton was “fully at the limit”, but did not manage to become dangerous to his forefends. “I actually drove all the time in the hope that a safety car would come at some point. But nothing came. That was unhappy,” says Hamilton.
After all: “I have made some positions from twelve and there is a lot of positive things that you can take with you and on which you can build on the coming weekends.”
What was realistic for Ferrari
But from Hamilton’s point of view there is also a big one: “I can really do without eighth place! That is not our claim.”
Realistic was possible in a smooth weekend “more fourth or five”, says Hamilton. On Friday, the seven -time world champion even speculated on his first podium for Ferrari.
Would such a result in the rest of the races significantly improve his season balance? Hamilton waves: “It would be nice, but it wouldn’t really change.”
According to Baku, Ferrari has to “look at what we could have done differently,” said Hamilton. “We could have done it better. We have to work on that.”
Ferrari is better – without being better
However, Hamilton also sees “need for improvement” on the Ferrari SF-25 because his car was “quite nervous”. “That’s why I still don’t feel safe when I brake.
From Hamilton’s point of view, a “crazy” situation has arisen: On the one hand, Ferrari is making progress “and it feels like progress, but the results have been bad in the past,” says Hamilton. Since the end of the summer break, fourth place in Monza by Leclerc has been the highest of feelings for Ferrari.
That’s why Hamilton says: “We are overdue for a good weekend and a good result – and we just have to look ahead.”
Hamilton wants more performance in qualifying
Ferrari’s focus must primarily focus on the time trial in qualifying. “Because if we get better in qualifying, we also have a better starting point for the race,” explains Hamilton.
He continues: “I would give everything for an upgrade, but we don’t have it because we are already concentrating on the car for next year. So we just have to be better to implement what we have.” What was not successful in Baku in Baku.