Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has had a difficult debut season for Ferrari, but believes that he might have turned a corner after Monza. The 40-year-old began the race from P10 in northern Italy, but managed to recover to cross the line sixth. The race around the ‘Temple of Speed’ saw him praised by his team boss, who claimed the Brit was “back on the pace“.
With Fred Vasseur’s words ringing in Hamilton’s ears, the 105-time F1 race winner feels positive for the upcoming race weekend in Azerbaijan. However, Hamilton has warned that a win around the streets of Baku is unlikely.
Lewis Hamilton is looking forward to the Azerbaijan GP
Ferrari is locked in a tight battle for second place in the championship with Mercedes. The Scuderia needs both drivers to be at the top end of the points to stay ahead. Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he might have got on top of the SF-25, but he needs to work on getting the best out of the car.
Speaking to the media in Baku, Hamilton claimed he was “optimistic” for the race weekend. He added, “I feel like I’ve found a couple of things and now I need to work on extracting them.”
“I’m excited to see what [the car] feels, and what I can get from it. This car has a lot more mechanical grip. It’s a lot softer than the car I’ve driven in the past.”
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Hamilton has had a difficult run of races, where the Brit has only managed 14 points in his last four races. However, the seven-time world champion showed strong pace in Italy, scoring only a low result due to a five-place grid penalty carried over from Zandvoort.
Lewis managed to recover for a strong race finish, his best since the British GP. He crossed the line only 12 seconds behind teammate Charles Leclerc, despite starting six places behind and had to make his way through traffic. Monza was strong for Hamilton, but he needs to continue his pace for the next few races.
Can Ferrari win in Baku?
Charles Leclerc indicated that the Azerbaijan GP was one of only a few that the Scuderia could realistically win. However, Lewis Hamilton has poured cold water on his chances of standing on the top step of the podium.
He explained, “A win is a bit far-fetched considering I’ve been 6th, 7th and 8th for most of the season. I would love to get a podium for the team at some stage.”
Ferrari generally works well around the streets of Baku. Leclerc has recorded five pole positions in a row, including in a sprint race in 2023. The Monogasque stood on the rostrum in the last two seasons, and he is positive going into the race weekend.
He said, “I still have this feeling, but mostly based on many years coming here, and most of the time we were not the favourites on paper, then we ended up having pole.”
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However, the 8-time race winner warned, “Pole position puts you in the best possible place to start the race, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we will have the race pace.
“That’s what we’ve been lacking in the past years. I don’t have a big hope that this year is going to be significantly different.”
Ferrari has yet to win this season, but a street circuit is looking like its best opportunity. Leclerc outlined Baku, Singapore and Las Vegas as the Scuderia’s best chances of taking victory this term. But will a Ferrari driver win in Azerbaijan? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
