Leclerc says unpredictable Ferrari stopped him attacking Baku walls

News Summary

Charles Leclerc qualified second but finished 0.837s behind George Russell
Leclerc said Ferrari’s unpredictable behaviour prevented him from attacking Baku’s walls
The Monegasque believes Mercedes’ advantage cannot be explained by its engine alone

Charles Leclerc admitted that George Russell’s Azerbaijan GP pole advantage was “much bigger than expected” after the Mercedes driver beat him by 0.837s in Baku qualifying.

Leclerc secured a front-row start with a 1min43.363s lap, narrowly beating Oscar Piastri by 0.001s. Russell, however, operated on another level and completed his decisive lap in 1min42.526s.

“I expected Mercedes to be ahead, but certainly not by that margin,” Leclerc said. “Eight tenths is much more than we expected.”

Russell had already established Mercedes as the weekend’s reference by leading the first two practice sessions. Max Verstappen moved ahead in FP3, but Russell responded with a dominant pole lap when it mattered.

Unpredictable Ferrari limits Leclerc’s Baku strength

Leclerc explained that Ferrari’s inconsistent behaviour prevented him from using one of his traditional strengths in Baku: driving extremely close to the barriers.

“My strength here has always been brushing the walls,” he told Motorsport Italia. “But with such an unpredictable car, I couldn’t do that.”

Baku’s narrow castle section rewards precision and confidence, while even a minor error can end a qualifying session. Leclerc therefore had to leave a larger safety margin than he normally would around the street circuit.

The limitation was not simply a lack of overall grip. Leclerc could not accurately predict how the SF-26 would respond as he approached the limit, making it difficult to extract the final tenths without risking an accident.

The Monegasque said Ferrari struggled particularly with the car’s behaviour in medium- and high-speed corners. That cost time before the circuit’s long flat-out section, compounding Mercedes’ superior straight-line performance.

Leclerc rejects simple engine explanation

Lewis Hamilton also highlighted Mercedes’ speed on the straights after qualifying sixth, but Leclerc warned against attributing the entire 0.837s deficit to the power unit.

According to the Ferrari driver, Russell carried an advantage across different parts of the circuit rather than gaining all his time on the main straight.

Mercedes’ margin nevertheless surprised Ferrari because the leading teams had appeared considerably closer during the earlier sessions. Russell’s qualifying lap transformed that competitive picture and gave Leclerc a difficult task from second on the grid.

Ferrari must now determine whether the SF-26’s inconsistency will remain during longer race stints. Leclerc starts alongside Russell, with Piastri and Isack Hadjar occupying the second row.

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