Fine‑tuning the style — and managing team orders
Lewis Hamilton says he is still refining how aggressively he can drive the Ferrari to unlock its peak. The seven‑time champion is seeking to lean into a more attacking approach as he continues to gel with the car and team.
In Baku, however, the spotlight fell on team dynamics. Ferrari instructed a late‑race position swap after Charles Leclerc had earlier moved aside to give Hamilton a shot at hunting the pack ahead. With a DRS train stalling progress, the order was to hand the place back on the final lap — but Hamilton crossed the line just ahead of Leclerc.
Vasseur: a simple misjudgement of the line
- Team principal Frédéric Vasseur explained that Hamilton had a tyre advantage when the first swap was made, while Leclerc was managing an energy recovery issue.
- When the call came to reverse positions, Hamilton misjudged the start‑finish line location while easing off — an error he said he would apologise for.
- Leclerc voiced mild frustration, noting the “unwritten rule” between team‑mates and hoping that, when higher‑value positions are at stake, execution is cleaner.
As Hamilton chases the more aggressive edge he believes will unlock Ferrari’s ceiling, the takeaway from Baku is twofold: coordination must be sharper in the heat of late‑race calls, and the driving‑style evolution continues behind the scenes.
