Lewis Hamilton voiced his irritation with Ferrari's tactics during the final qualifying segment (Q3) after he secured sixth place for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, remarking that "they changed the plan." Hamilton wondered why the Scuderia opted for a single multi‑lap run at the very end of the knockout stage instead of sending the car out earlier for an opening stint, a move that Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull (with Max Verstappen) had all employed. The seven‑time world champion explained that his closing laps were hampered by the lack of a slipstream, or "tow," from a car ahead, which is crucial for maximizing straight‑line speed on Baku's famously long main straight. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, benefitted from a tow because the Monegasque driver was scheduled to run second in the final qualifying session, allowing him to draft behind Hamilton.
Leclerc posted a strong second‑place qualifying result, trailing only the dominant Mercedes driver George Russell, who claimed pole with a season‑best gap of eight‑tenths of a second. Reflecting on his own performance, Hamilton told Sky Sports F1: "It was a pretty bad qualifying once again.
It's not for the lack of trying. Q1 and Q2 were pretty ok. At least Q1 was pretty decent, Q2 we struggled a little bit more, and then as we went into Q3 they changed the plan." He continued, "Instead of doing two runs we ended up waiting and then because I was ahead of Charles, I had nobody ahead of me on a tow so that was worth quite a chunk in itself. But, either way, we couldn't compete with the Mercedes.
They are just outright so much quicker on the straights than us. They did a great job." Three of the five cars positioned ahead of Hamilton on the starting grid—Russell, and the McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris—are powered by Mercedes power units. Hamilton acknowledged the challenge ahead, stating, "I think it's going to be hard to overtake a Mercedes tomorrow. Keeping up with a Mercedes engine on the straight will be tough but I'll give it everything I've got." In Ferrari's post‑qualifying press conference, team principal Frédéric Vasseur explained the rationale behind the altered approach: "We made some significant changes to the set‑up and to our approach, and they paid off today.
George has been very strong since the first lap of FP1, but Charles did a good job to put the car on the front row. On Lewis' side, it was difficult to get a tow because the different run plans made it complicated to synchronise with the other cars. He also brushed the wall on his first lap in Q3, which compromised that attempt, but he recovered well to finish sixth despite not having a tow on his final lap." Leclerc, who secured Ferrari's first front‑row start since the Hungarian Grand Prix in July, expressed satisfaction with his lap time while admitting the gap to Russell was larger than anticipated. "Honestly, it was quite a good lap," he said.
"Lewis was three‑four seconds, I think, in front, and I managed to do a good lap at the end. But when I see the gap to George, maybe the lap wasn't good enough." Despite the gap, Leclerc remained optimistic about the race, noting that Ferrari often performs better over a race distance than in a single qualifying lap. "We'll try, and we'll do our best," he added.
"Whether that'll be enough, only time will tell. But we know that we have a good race car, more often than not better in the race than in qualifying, and I hope that it will be the case again this weekend." Vasseur, whose team has not reached a podium in the last four events, highlighted the expected low tyre degradation in Baku, suggesting that track position could be a decisive factor.
"Tyre degradation is expected to be very low, which could make track position particularly important. We are in a position to score good points with both cars, even if Baku is always unpredictable," he said. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend features a packed schedule. On Saturday, September 26, the day begins with the Formula 2 Feature Race at 7:55 am, followed by the Grand Prix build‑up at 10:30 am.
The main race kicks off at 12:00 pm, with post‑race analysis and the chequered‑flag reaction slated for 2:00 pm, and a final segment titled "Ted's Notebook" at 3:00 pm, all broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event. Viewers can stream the coverage via Sky Sports with NOW, offering a contract‑free, cancel‑anytime option.
The strategic misstep highlighted by Hamilton underscores how crucial timing and aerodynamic assistance are on circuits with long straights. While Ferrari's decision to delay their final run may have been intended to preserve tyre life or avoid traffic, the lack of a tow left Hamilton at a disadvantage compared with rivals who could draft behind a teammate or another car. This scenario illustrates the fine margins that separate a podium finish from a mid‑field result in Formula 1, especially on a street circuit where overtaking opportunities are limited and straight‑line speed is paramount. As the race approaches, both teams will need to adapt their plans.
Mercedes appears to have maximised its qualifying performance, while Ferrari must decide whether to replicate its qualifying set‑up or switch to a more race‑focused configuration that could exploit the low tyre wear and potentially allow Leclerc to challenge from the front row. Hamilton, despite his frustration, will still have the chance to capitalize on any mistakes from the leading Mercedes cars, especially if the race unfolds with safety‑car periods or changing weather conditions, which have historically shaken up the Baku grid.
In summary, the qualifying session highlighted a clash of strategies: Mercedes' consistency, McLaren's aggressive early runs, and Ferrari's late‑stage gamble. Hamilton's remarks reflect a broader debate within the paddock about how best to balance qualifying speed with race‑day performance, a conversation that will continue to evolve as the 2026 season progresses.