Lewis Hamilton expressed shock and disappointment after failing to progress beyond Q2 during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying session, dropping to 12th place on the grid. Despite a confident start to the weekend, topping Friday practice times and running in the top six through the early stages, his hopes for a strong qualifying in Baku were dashed. The challenging tyre strategy played a significant role in his early exit, raising questions about how the team approached the soft and medium tyre options.
Strong Start to the Weekend Undermined by Tyre Choice
Hamilton initially looked dominant, outperforming his Mercedes teammate Charles Leclerc in Friday’s practice sessions and maintaining competitive pace through the final practice and the first knockout phase of qualifying. However, the Briton lost momentum in Q2 when he failed to clock a fast enough lap on the soft tyres that were expected to give him an advantage in the top-10 shootout.
Meanwhile, Leclerc, opting for medium tyres in Q2, advanced to Q3 but later crashed early in the final stage, settling for 10th on the grid. This outcome contributed to Ferrari’s struggle to secure a strong qualifying position at the Baku circuit.
Hamilton Reflects on the Session and Tyre Complications
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after qualifying, Hamilton shared his frustration. “I’m obviously so disappointed,” he said.
“Yesterday the car was feeling good, today there was a direction that we ended up going, which on paper looked like it was the best place for us to be, and ultimately it…”
He paused before explaining how the pace was promising until tyre selection ultimately hampered his lap time.
Highlighting the tyre dilemma, Hamilton noted:
“It’s tough. Everyone ahead of me basically had the medium tyre on, but I lost a medium tyre in P2 due to run-plan schedule, and that put me on the back foot.”
Lewis Hamilton, Driver
Confusion Over Tyre Strategy Amid a Chaotic Q2 Session
The Baku weekend had been marked by uncertainty regarding the optimum tyre selection, with medium compounds proving unexpectedly effective, sometimes outperforming the softer tyres on specific cars and track conditions. This unusual trend left teams scrambling to devise the best approach.
During Q2, after a red flag caused by Oliver Bearman’s crash, no leading driver had a timed lap when the session resumed. Ferrari sent Leclerc out first on medium tyres, followed by Hamilton on softs. Leclerc made an early error, running wide at the first corner and triggering yellow flags that slowed Hamilton and disrupted their laps. Both recorded slow, unrepresentative times as a result.
Following a cooldown lap, Ferrari attempted another run; Hamilton put in a lap good enough for eighth fastest temporarily, while Leclerc again compromised his effort by running wide at Turn Three. Leclerc pitted to switch to fresh mediums, but Hamilton remained on the same soft tyres, posting his best Q2 time on the next attempt. Unfortunately, that was only enough for tenth place initially, which later dropped to twelfth after improvements by Fernando Alonso and Leclerc.
Missed Opportunity for a Second Timed Lap
With two minutes remaining on the clock, Hamilton could theoretically have attempted a final timed lap. Instead, he chose to pit at the end of his next out-lap, sealing his premature exit. When asked about the possibility of switching to mediums for another attempt, Hamilton responded,
“Yeah, but the choice wasn’t taken to take it. I wanted to but they said that the warm-up was too long or something like that, so then we run out of time and run out of fuel.”
He added:
“Not great, but we’ll take it internal.”
Lewis Hamilton, Driver
Despite the disappointment, Hamilton remained cautiously optimistic about the positives from the weekend.
“I’ve really felt on it. I honestly thought I was going to be shooting for pole today, so it’s kind of a bit of a shock.”
He concluded:
“I’ll take it on the chin and keep trying.”
Lewis Hamilton, Driver
Ferrari Team Principal Highlights Tyre Challenges Facing All Teams
Frederic Vasseur, team principal at Ferrari, acknowledged the tyre difficulties experienced by all teams at Baku. Responding to Hamilton’s remarks on tyre selection, Vasseur remarked:
“We aborted lap one and you are not fuelling the car to do 10 laps more.”
He also admitted that tyre strategy was “a bit of a confusion” shared across the field due to unusual performance differences.
He added,
“I think it’s more to put the tyres in the right window than the choice of the tyre.”
Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari Team Principal
Vasseur pointed out that Max Verstappen secured pole position using soft tyres, while Carlos Sainz also performed well on the medium tyre, highlighting the unpredictable tyre behavior among competitors.
Expectations for the Race and Broadcast Schedule
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix race is scheduled for Sunday, starting at 12pm local time with build-up coverage from 10.30am on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. Live streaming is available via NOW, offering viewers flexible access without a contract.
This weekend’s qualifying surprises have set up an unpredictable race, where tyre management and strategy will be critical factors. With frontrunners like Hamilton and Leclerc starting further back than expected, the race could unfold with dramatic shifts in position and highlight the importance of in-race tyre decisions.
Tyre Strategy Crucial Moving Forward at Baku
The unexpected qualifying results underline the highly technical and nuanced tyre demands of the Baku street circuit. Teams will need to carefully balance soft and medium tyre usage during the race to maximize performance, especially given the unusual circumstances indicating that medium tyres may at times outperform the softer compounds.
For Hamilton and Mercedes, recovering from 12th on the grid will require precise race management and potentially bold strategy calls, while Ferrari aims to bounce back after Leclerc’s crash in Q3 placed him mid-pack.
