Ferrari logs 97 laps in Azerbaijan GP practice as Leclerc and Hamilton chase pace
Scuderia Ferrari HP completed 97 laps in Baku on the opening day of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton ending the second session fourth and fifth.
- 97
- 50
- 1'44"473
- 1'44"665
What Happened
Scuderia Ferrari HP completed 97 laps on the first day of track action for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. As is often the case at the Baku City Circuit, the track was very dirty in the early stages and gradually cleaned up with every passing lap, so it was important for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to progressively build confidence in the track and the walls, which can be brushed but not touched. The team worked on the set-up of the SF-26s and ran all three Pirelli compounds available for the weekend, acquiring data both over single laps and through several long runs. This evening, all the information will be analysed and assessed in preparation for tomorrow's qualifying at 4pm local time (2pm CEST), preceded by the third and final free practice session at 12.30pm (10.30am CEST).
97
50 of them came in the first practice session, with Leclerc and Hamilton each running 25.
Leclerc and Hamilton started on Hard tyres, switched to Mediums halfway through and set their best times: Leclerc 1'45"791 for third quickest, Hamilton 1'45"824 for fourth. Both then completed a long run, Hamilton on the used Hards and Leclerc on Mediums, each doing 25 laps for a team total of 50.
Both drivers began on Mediums and stayed out until the session was red flagged when Arvid Lindblad hit the barriers. After the track reopened they switched to Soft tyres, Leclerc going fourth fastest in 1'44"473 and Hamilton fifth in 1'44"665. Leclerc then ran 24 laps in a longer Soft-tyre run, one more than Hamilton, bringing Ferrari's total for the day to 97 laps.
Third and final free practice session.
Qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
- FP1 on Mediums: 1'45"791 (third quickest) — FP2 on Softs: 1'44"473 (fourth quickest)
- FP1 on Mediums: 1'45"824 (fourth fastest) — FP2 on Softs: 1'44"665 (fifth fastest)
“We lacked some pace in the practice sessions so there is quite a lot of work to do tonight to close the gap. We will go through everything we learned today and work on making a step forward ahead of tomorrow. Hopefully we can come back stronger for qualifying on a track that I really enjoy driving.”
“It is always great to drive at this circuit and it's been a productive day overall. FP1 was encouraging and we completed a number of consistent laps and established a useful baseline to build from. There are a few areas we need to examine more closely, but we have gathered a considerable amount of data and will use tonight to understand where we can make further progress. Tyre preparation remains an important focus, particularly in ensuring we can consistently bring them into the right operating window. That has a significant impact on both available grip and the overall balance of the car, so it will be a key priority as we prepare for tomorrow.”
Previously from Ferrari N.V.
Ferrari came to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the 15th round of the season, on a reshuffled Thursday-to-Saturday schedule designed to avoid clashing with Azerbaijan's Remembrance Day. Before the weekend, Lewis Hamilton said the team's aim was a clean, well-executed weekend, believing Ferrari could still improve after recent races fell short on execution. Charles Leclerc said the Baku City Circuit rewards commitment and precision, but warned that qualifying is where Ferrari struggles most this year.
- Ferrari heads to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on a reshuffled Thursday-to-Saturday schedule
- Hamilton targets a clean weekend for Ferrari at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
- Leclerc says commitment and precision are key as Ferrari heads to Baku for Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ferrari N.V.'s official releases.
Why this matters
Ferrari finished the day's second practice outside the top three, and Leclerc said the team lacked pace and faces a lot of work overnight to close the gap. For the team and its drivers, how quickly they turn the tyre and set-up data from both sessions into a step forward will shape their chances in tomorrow's qualifying.
Terms in This Story
- compound
- The specific rubber mixture a tyre is made from, such as the Hard, Medium or Soft options a supplier brings to a race weekend; softer compounds usually give more grip but wear faster.
- red flag
- A signal that a session or race has been stopped, usually so marshals can safely clear a crashed car or debris from the track.
- long run
- A sustained sequence of laps in practice used to study how a car and its tyres behave over a longer distance rather than over one quick lap.
- set-up
- The collection of mechanical adjustments made to a race car to change how it handles, chosen to suit a particular circuit.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.