Lewis Hamilton is still trying to find his rhythm at Ferrari. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku was another reminder of the challenges facing the seven-time world champion in a red car. Having shown promise in free practice, where he topped the second session, Hamilton faded to eighth place in both qualifying and the race. This continues a frustrating trend for both Hamilton and Ferrari.
Speaking after the weekend, Hamilton admitted that he lacks confidence in the SF-24: “I think I can still improve my aggression,” he reflected. “The car is quick, but I don’t feel one hundred per cent confident braking when I’m pushing hard. We made progress with the setup, but the results simply are not coming.”
The Briton emphasised that Ferrari is moving in the right direction, yet the lack of tangible results continues to be painful.
Charles Leclerc, for his part, played down the intra-team battle after finishing just behind his teammate. “Eighth or ninth makes no real difference,” said the Monegasque driver. ‘The bigger picture is that we have been slow all weekend, and that is the problem we need to solve.’ Leclerc’s frustration mirrored Hamilton’s, but it was compounded by being outpaced by the new arrival once again.
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Mercedes contracts under the microscope
While Hamilton grapples with his Ferrari, his former team continues to keep the paddock guessing. Mercedes has publicly committed to a future line-up of George Russell and junior star Kimi Antonelli from 2026, but curiously, neither driver has yet signed a binding contract.
It is believed that a multi-year deal for Russell is on the table, but no formal announcement has been made. Toto Wolff has suggested that no grand unveiling will be necessary, instead promising a quiet confirmation once the contracts have been signed.
This hesitation has not gone unnoticed. Sources in the paddock have begun to whisper that Hamilton himself has tested the waters with his former team, discreetly asking whether the door might still be ajar. With Russell’s contract still to be signed and Antonelli yet to prove himself at the highest level, the possibility of Hamilton making a dramatic return to Mercedes cannot be completely dismissed.
The irony is rich. Hamilton’s bold switch to Ferrari at the start of 2024 was hailed as the shock of the century: the kind of driver move that reshapes the grid and shakes the sport out of its slumber. Yet, less than a season later, the Briton appears unsettled and has publicly admitted that he is not fully at ease in the cockpit. Meanwhile, the contract-shaped gap in his old garage at Brackley fuels speculation about a potential reunion.
Ferrari frustration is growing
For Hamilton, the Ferrari experiment has been more grind than glory so far. The team promised him a car capable of challenging Red Bull and Mercedes, yet the SF-24 has performed inconsistently, particularly over the course of a race. Hamilton has praised the car’s potential speed, but admitted that achieving it requires a level of confidence that he has not yet attained.
Fans who expected fireworks from the Hamilton-Ferrari partnership now face the reality of mediocre results and cautious optimism. Hamilton’s comments after the Baku race, emphasising progress but lamenting results, echo the sentiments that Charles Leclerc has expressed for years.
The question for Ferrari is whether the problem lies with the drivers or within the organisation itself, which continues to struggle with consistency.
The Mercedes safety net
In contrast, Mercedes has stabilised after the turbulence of recent seasons. Russell continues to deliver solid results, while Antonelli represents the long-term future. However, contract uncertainty leaves room for intrigue. Should Hamilton seriously pursue a return, Mercedes could be forced to make a difficult choice between sentiment and proven experience versus its commitment to youth.
This would not be the first time that Mercedes has kept its options open for longer than expected. Wolff has often said that flexibility is a strength, enabling the team to adapt to changing circumstances. Hamilton’s apparent inquiries could therefore be seen as a reminder of his ambition, as well as putting pressure on Ferrari. After all, nothing motivates Maranello quite like the prospect of losing their star driver.
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As the Formula One circus trundled beyond the Ural mountains into Asia, expectations were that McLaren would clinch the constructors’ championship, needing to score just nine points more than Ferrari. Yet the weekend was not to be another papaya celebration as the wheels came off the previously impressive racing team from Woking.
The conditions were indeed most difficult during qualifying as unusually five world class drivers hit the wall causing a record six red flags in the session. Once again Ferrari suffered from strategic muddled thinking as Hamilton complained he was given the wrong tyres for his final runs in Q2 and the car was a lap short on fuel.
To make matters worse it was Charles Leclerc who was the first top driver to misjudge his speed and hit the wall in turn 15, meaning the red cars would start the Grand Prix from their lowest combined position of the season…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
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