Hamilton left 12th as Ferrari stumble in Azerbaijan GP qualifying

BAKU, Azerbaijan — Lewis Hamilton qualified 12th for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday, a disappointing result for Ferrari as the team faces a challenging debut season. The 40-year-old Briton was knocked out in Q2 after his best lap on the soft tyre, the C6 compound, while rivals including his team-mate Charles Leclerc posted faster times on the medium C5s. The C5s showed only a marginal gap to the C6s but lasted better in qualifying, contributing to Hamilton’s afternoon setback after a strong second practice session that had suggested better pace for the Ferrari duo.

"Honestly, I'm obviously so disappointed," Hamilton said after the session. "Yesterday the car was feeling good, today there was some direction that we ended up going which on paper looked like it was the best place for us to be. And ultimately, our pace had been good, we'd been progressing, I was feeling really on it, I didn't make any mistakes, you didn't see me go down any exit roads, it was just that we didn't have the right tyre on at the end – and it's tough."

"Everyone ahead of me basically had the medium tyre on, but I lost a medium tyre in FP2 and due to our run plan, and that put me on the back foot. I wanted to, but they said the warm-up was too long or something like that, so then we ran out of time and then ran out of fuel. So not great, but we'll take it internal. As I said, there's been lots of positives from this weekend, I've really felt on it. I honestly thought I was going to be shooting for a pole today and so it's kind of a bit of a shock, but I'll take it on a chin and keep trying."

Leclerc, Hamilton’s teammate at Ferrari for this season, was not much better in 10th, continuing a mixed campaign as the Scuderia navigate a debut year with the new lineup. Ferrari had shown strong pace in practice, topping the standings in the second session with combined results for both drivers, but the qualifying result illustrated the persistent gap between pace and performance in the cards on sprint-shaped qualifying formats.

The context around the day underscored Ferrari’s broader season arc: Hamilton’s return to the grid has been marked by a mix of retirements and mid-field finishes as the team tries to adapt to new regulations and a different competitive landscape. Leclerc’s presence in the top ten provides a glimmer of stability, but the team sits sixth in the drivers’ standings as it looks to convert practice pace into meaningful results on race day.

Qualifying for the street circuit in Baku is notorious for rapid pace shifts and tyre choices, and the decision to start with the C6 softs backfired for Hamilton as the track temperature and grip evolved. The setback leaves Hamilton with a challenging climb in the race, where strategy, tyre management and a strong start will be essential to claw back positions. Ferrari officials have indicated they will reassess their run plan ahead of the race, aiming to maximize every opportunity on a track known for surprises and safety-car interruptions.

The day’s developments also highlighted the ongoing tensions between qualifying tactics and race execution, a theme that has recurred across the season as teams adapt to evolving tyre compounds and varying track conditions. Hamilton’s focus in the final practice and the early laps of qualifying suggested potential for a pole, but the sequence of tyre choices and the limited time window for a final push left him short of the front of the grid. As the Azerbaijan Grand Prix moves toward Sunday’s race, teams and drivers will weigh the trade-offs between pace and durability, particularly on a circuit that rewards both speed and strategic acumen. With Leclerc mirroring a steady, if not spectacular, trajectory in the other Ferrari seat, the stage is set for a race where execution under pressure could redefine the weekend’s results.