Late-team-order drama caps Ferrari’s bruising Azerbaijan GP
Ferrari left Baku with more questions than answers after a late team order between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc descended into confusion. After Leclerc had let Hamilton through to attack the pack ahead, the Scuderia called for positions to be swapped back on the final lap. Hamilton failed to execute the instruction in time, and Ferrari later explained he had “misjudged” the finishing line while attempting the switch.
Hamilton’s explanation and apology
Hamilton issued an apology post-race for not handing P8 back, while the team clarified the communication and timing breakdown that led to the miscue. Motorsport.com detailed why the swap didn’t happen as intended, with Autosport reporting Ferrari’s view that Hamilton mistimed the line while orchestrating the change.
Leclerc’s cool response
Leclerc bristled on the radio as the chequered flag fell: “I don’t really care, it’s for eighth place – so it’s okay, he can enjoy that P8.” The sentiment underlined the deflation of a weekend that had promised far more after strong practice pace.
Italian media backlash
The Italian press took aim. Gazzetta dello Sport labelled the weekend “a nightmare” and criticised Hamilton for not respecting team orders, while Corriere dello Sport decried “a lot of noise for absolutely nothing” at Ferrari and described the late-race non-swap as an “irritating moment”. Corriere della Sera added that Hamilton “did not want” to give the position back, with Ferrari “becoming a joke on the internet”.
How the weekend unravelled
Momentum evaporated on Saturday. Leclerc, usually a Baku specialist, crashed early in Q3 and started only 10th. Hamilton was caught out by a tyre mix-up and missed Q3 entirely. On Sunday, Hamilton climbed to ninth on the road with Leclerc largely rooted in place, before the late order aimed to restore the initial running. The team’s slim haul saw it slip to third in the constructors’. Hamilton, meanwhile, remains without a grand prix podium in his debut Ferrari season.
The wider picture
What should have been a weekend to reset Ferrari’s trajectory instead amplified the operational fragility that has dogged its campaign. With margins tight in the constructors’ fight and internal execution under the microscope, the Scuderia leaves Baku searching for clarity, cohesion and a spark to reignite its season.
