During the 2025 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton acknowledged a mistake in the Lewis Hamilton Leclerc swap when he failed to return eighth place to his teammate, Charles Leclerc, after team orders. The incident occurred on the final lap at Baku after Leclerc initially relinquished his position to Hamilton to maximize the advantage of fresher tires in an attempt to overtake the cars ahead.
Ferrari’s weekend in Baku was far from successful, with both drivers unable to secure a top-five finish despite showing promising speed in Friday’s second practice session. Leclerc and Hamilton began the race in 10th and 12th positions, respectively, and spent much of the race trapped behind slower vehicles. Hamilton’s later pit stop, however, gave him a theoretical edge to move forward, prompting Ferrari to instruct Leclerc, then running eighth, to swap places.
Although Leclerc complied, after Hamilton’s unsuccessful overtaking efforts, the team asked Hamilton to return the position on the final lap. The British driver failed to do so, causing controversy. Afterward, Hamilton explained that he eased off on the final straight as requested but miscalculated the situation and promised to apologize to Leclerc.
“Firstly…obviously I was quicker [in that moment of the race] but Charles was gracious to let me by,” he told the media (via The Race). “At the end I got the message really late on, and I was like zoned in on the car in front of me, even though there was like 0.0001% chance of passing, I was still hopeful maybe.”
Hamilton further elaborated:
“And basically I did lift on the straight, and did actually brake, but he missed it by like four tenths. That was just a misjudgment by myself. I’ll apologise to Charles. At the end of the day that’s [only] eighth and ninth.”
The race had broader implications for Ferrari, who lost second place in the Constructors’ Championship to Mercedes. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli secured second and fourth places for Mercedes, moving their team past Ferrari and establishing a four-point lead in the standings.
Ferrari Struggles with Pace Despite Early Promises at Baku
Though both Hamilton and Leclerc ranked highly in Friday’s second free practice session, they struggled to carry that momentum into qualifying and the race itself. Hamilton qualified 12th, while Leclerc’s prospects were hampered by a crash that dropped him to 10th on the grid. Both drivers encountered limited opportunities to advance significantly during the race.
Leclerc openly admitted the difficulties Ferrari faced over the weekend, highlighting their lack of speed as a critical concern.
“Unfortunately, we have been very slow all weekend, and that’s what we should focus on. P8 and P9, or P9 and P8, is not something that really interests me. It’s fine,” Leclerc said.
With seven races still left in the season, Ferrari retains a chance to reclaim second place from Mercedes. However, the lackluster pace demonstrated at the Azerbaijan GP suggests it will be an uphill battle to close the gap.
