Charles Leclerc Demands Urgent Ferrari Upgrades After Baku Pace Deficit
Charles Leclerc has issued an urgent call for Ferrari to deliver performance upgrades after enduring a frustrating Azerbaijan Grand Prix where the Italian team lagged well behind their main rivals.
Despite qualifying on the front row alongside pole-sitter George Russell, Leclerc was unable to sustain a challenge at the front on race day in Baku. Opting to start on the soft compound tyre in a bid to seize an early advantage, the Monegasque driver quickly lost ground during his opening stint, falling behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri and both Red Bull machines before crossing the line in fourth position.
Falling Behind in the Development Race
Speaking after the race, Leclerc made no secret of his concern regarding Ferrari's current performance deficit against their top competitors.
“They were very strong,” Leclerc reflected. “McLaren were also strong – not maybe as strong as Red Bull, but Red Bull were particularly strong. We know they have a very strong power unit so this is a good race for them, but still."
“We were quite far off Mercedes, far off Red Bull, a bit behind McLaren – these are our competitors and it’s not new. It’s [been] quite a few races now that we’re losing a little bit of track to them, so it's important that we react to that and that we bring upgrades in order to close the gap again.”
While rivals Red Bull and McLaren brought fresh aerodynamic and mechanical updates to the Baku street circuit, Ferrari opted against introducing new parts. With the battle for runner-up honours in the Constructors' Championship intensifying, Leclerc expressed uncertainty about whether Ferrari's upcoming packages will suffice.
“We've got things in the pipeline, but I don't know what the others have in the pipeline,” he added. “We are going to improve the car – whether it's going to be enough to outrace them in the development programme… I don't know what they have in store.”
Hamilton Struggles with Persistent Tyre Issues
On the other side of the Scuderia garage, Lewis Hamilton endured a similarly difficult afternoon, struggling to make headway from sixth on the grid.
The British driver had a brief highlight battling past McLaren's Lando Norris before eventually being overtaken by Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, citing severe tyre performance inconsistencies throughout the weekend.
“I was just surprised all weekend – I couldn't get the tyres working at all,” Hamilton admitted. “Even through the whole race the tyres were just switching on, switching off, switching on, switching off, and so one minute the grip picks up for a second and then it drops away. We were seconds a lap slower than the cars right at the front, so there was nothing I could do.”
Ferrari will now head to the next rounds looking to expedite planned developments to prevent their rivals from pulling further clear in the standings.