Lewis Hamilton demonstrated signs of regaining momentum at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, overcoming a difficult qualifying session to secure an eighth-place finish. After an unexpected early exit in Q2—when Ferrari failed to provide fresh tires—Hamilton started the race from 12th but managed to climb through the field on the streets of Baku. His improved form throughout the weekend highlighted Lewis Hamilton finding groove amid a challenging season.
The seven-time world champion had appeared comfortable during practice and earlier sessions, indicating better adaptation to his Ferrari-driven car. Despite setbacks at previous rounds, including a crash in Zandvoort and a grid penalty at Monza, Hamilton’s pace against Charles Leclerc showed marked improvement following the summer break.
Expert Analysis Highlights Hamilton’s Renewed Confidence
F1 analyst James Hinchcliffe spoke about Hamilton’s performance on the F1 Nation podcast, noting a visible boost in the driver’s confidence during the Azerbaijan event. Hinchcliffe recognized Hamilton’s progress amid a race where many drivers starting out of position failed to make significant gains.
“8th and 9th just seems like such a transparent result. Like, it’s a bit of a footnote. But in a race where we were expecting a lot of the out of position cars to make big ground and almost none of them did, Hamilton from 12th to 8th and beating Leclerc, that might have been one of the drives of the day,”
he said.
He further added,
“He beat his teammate. He was so much more confident in his race car this weekend. He visibly looked lighter and more enthusiastic and happier to be at the racetrack than he has for quite some time.”
– James Hinchcliffe, F1 Pundit
Challenges Adapting to Ferrari’s Unique Characteristics
Lewis Hamilton has faced notable difficulties adjusting to this season’s Ferrari vehicle, especially regarding the brake system, which differs significantly from the one he used at Mercedes. Ferrari’s use of Brembo brakes rather than the Carbon Industrie setup Hamilton was accustomed to has contributed to the challenge. Beyond braking, Hamilton has frequently described the Ferrari’s handling as unfamiliar, requiring constant adaptation every race weekend.
These challenges have overshadowed his earlier performances, but recent events suggest Hamilton might be overcoming these obstacles to harness better race pace and consistency.
Potential Turning Point as Hamilton Looks Ahead
Hinchcliffe expressed cautious optimism about whether Hamilton’s newfound confidence will carry through the remaining seven races of the season. He emphasized the importance of Hamilton sustaining this positive momentum across entire race weekends, rather than just showing flashes of speed in individual sessions.
“I really, truly hope that whatever it is they found, because we’ve seen this on in sessions maybe over the last half the year and maybe over a day, but it’s never over a weekend,”
Hinchcliffe said, continuing,
“He really carried that optimism all weekend long, even after the poor qualifying, going into the race, he was still optimistic he could make some ground up.”
He concluded,
“Relatively speaking, he did. I really hope that whatever they found translates to other racetracks because Hamilton’s starting to find his groove in that car. That’s – that’s exciting for everybody.”
With the season’s final races approaching, Lewis Hamilton’s ability to maintain this growth could impact his championship challenge and Ferrari’s prospects. Fans and pundits alike will watch closely as he aims to convert recent progress into consistent results across diverse circuits.
