Lewis Hamilton finished the Azerbaijan Grand Prix of Formula 1 in sixth place, leaving Baku without being able to explain why Ferrari had so much difficulty making the tires work. The British driver also highlighted the difference in straight-line performance versus rivals, describing their advantage as ‘absurd’.
The main issue for Hamilton appeared throughout practically the entire weekend. Ferrari tried to make adjustments to improve the tires’ behavior, but the difficulty returned at the decisive moment and persisted during the race.
“For me, it was all about getting the tires to work throughout the weekend. I simply don’t think I managed to get the tires to work properly, and I can’t fully understand why this happens with our car,” Hamilton said.
According to the seven-time champion, there was a partial improvement in TL3, but the scenario changed again for the rest of the weekend. In the first part of the race, the tires did reach the ideal operating window, allowing Hamilton to have a reasonable pace, but the situation worsened after the switch to the medium compounds.
“It was a bit better in TL3, but in Q1 it was really hard to make them work. By the end of the first stint, the tires suddenly began to work and I had a reasonable pace. But then we put on the medium compounds and they simply did not work throughout the entire time,” he added.
Hamilton also drew attention to the difference in performance among rival teams on the straights at Baku. According to the Ferrari driver, that power advantage forced the team to defend at parts of the circuit where such defending would normally not be necessary.
“Those guys simply have power, power, power everywhere, which is quite absurd to see,” he concluded, clearly showing his frustration with Ferrari’s current situation.
