Lewis Hamilton finished sixth in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying, 1.332 seconds behind pole‑sitter George Russell on Friday in Baku.
Hamilton blames tire woes and strategy missteps
In a measured interview, Hamilton highlighted how the Ferrari’s decision to switch to a single‑lap run after Q2 left him “tows‑less” for the crucial six‑lap Q3 sprint. The seven‑time champion noted that the tires never developed to full potential during the session, stating, “We’ve been struggling all weekend to get the tyres working.”
He was 0.257 seconds slower than Charles Leclerc in Q2, and 0.495 seconds behind Russell in Q3, after giving Leclerc a “good tow” in the final run. Hamilton said a tow in FP3 would have added about six‑tenths of a second, potentially moving him to the front row.
Ferrari strategy sparks debate over car performance
Hamilton praised Leclerc’s effort, calling it “…a really good job” and suggested the Ferrari car could be the third fastest this season. He added, “I think Max has been quicker all weekend, and I don’t know what happened to him in the session.” All four drivers in Q3 seemed to struggle with rear‑tyre performance, a factor Hamilton said dampened his pace.
Moving forward
Despite the qualifying gap, Hamilton emphasised, “This happens all the time, so I’m used to it.” He believes the lack of slipstream was decisive and that once the race starts, his and Ferrari’s fight with Mercedes will “be hard to overtake any of the cars.”
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