In the aftermath of a bruising Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc cut a candid figure: both he and Ferrari see little prospect of a late-season turnaround. The words matched the mood — a weekend that underlined the team’s current limitations against the front-runners.
A reality check in Baku
The high-speed streets of Baku can flatter or expose. For Ferrari, they did the latter. Leclerc’s admission reflects a campaign marked by glimpses of promise but undermined by inconsistency, narrow operating windows and a car that too often leaves its drivers firefighting rather than attacking.
No miracle cure on the horizon
With the calendar running down, Ferrari’s focus is inevitably shifting: extract everything from what they have, minimise errors, and bank points when opportunities arise. A late surge requires both performance step and operational perfection — and Leclerc’s tone suggested neither is likely to arrive in time to rewrite the season’s narrative.
Maximising the remaining Sundays
That does not mean giving up the fight. On the contrary, it means pragmatic racing: qualifying cleanly, protecting tyre life, and capitalising on safety car volatility. The target becomes clear — best of the rest when outright victory is out of reach, and poised to strike when the leaders stumble.
Eyes forward
Ferrari’s long game remains the same: fix the fundamentals, widen the setup window, and convert the car’s flashes of speed into sustained competitiveness. Leclerc’s honesty after Baku is a line in the sand — realism today, with the intent to come back sharper tomorrow.
