- Charles Leclerc believes Red Bull now has a clear chassis-performance advantage over Ferrari after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
- Red Bull and McLaren introduced major upgrade packages in Baku, while Ferrari left its car unchanged.
- Leclerc says Ferrari has “a few things coming” but must react quickly to prevent the performance gap from widening.
Charles Leclerc says Red Bull and McLaren have moved ahead of Ferrari
Charles Leclerc believes Red Bull currently holds a clear advantage over Ferrari in chassis performance, with McLaren also making a significant step forward after the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.
Red Bull and McLaren both brought substantial upgrade packages to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The developments focused on the sidepods, floor and diffuser. McLaren also introduced a revised engine cover, rear suspension and rear wing, while Red Bull added new mirrors and a revised halo. Ferrari, by contrast, made no changes to its car for the weekend.
Leclerc narrowly secured a place on the front row, finishing 0.001 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and 0.137 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in Q3. However, the Ferrari driver dropped to a distant fifth by the fourth lap. He eventually finished fourth after Piastri made a late error and ran deep into Turn 1, while Kimi Antonelli’s qualifying crash left the Mercedes driver fighting through the field from 16th on the grid.
Ferrari lacked the pace to challenge Red Bull
Leclerc said Ferrari’s race was compromised from the start and that its lack of straight-line speed made it difficult to defend against Red Bull.
“It was a bit of a boring race for us,” Leclerc said. “Unfortunately, we had a bad start, which was probably the only thing we could have done much better today. After that, we just had no pace. Compared to the Red Bull, it was very difficult to defend because in the straight line we are too slow.
“We are just struggling with raw pace at the moment.”
Leclerc added: “The two Red Bulls were too quick and obviously George [Russell] was too strong as well.”
Lewis Hamilton was less forthcoming when asked about Ferrari’s speed. Asked whether Ferrari now had the fourth-fastest car, the seven-time world champion replied: “What’s the importance of that?”
When Motorsport.com pressed Hamilton on how unexpected Red Bull’s pace had been—Max Verstappen challenged George Russell for victory despite qualifying 1.6 seconds slower, while Isack Hadjar was one second slower than the Mercedes in Q3—Hamilton responded: “I don’t really think about anybody else.”
Leclerc points to rivals’ upgrade gains
Leclerc does not believe the Baku circuit is particularly well suited to Ferrari, but he attributed the SF-26’s weak performance to the progress made by Red Bull and McLaren. Ferrari ran the ADUO2 power unit again in the No. 16 car, but the change did not offset the performance gap created by the rivals’ upgrades.
“McLaren and Red Bull did a step forward with the upgrades they are bringing,” he said. “They have grown recently, they did a step forward that we didn’t do. And we must react, because losing some pace now is going to be very difficult to take it back. So hopefully we can react very soon.”
Ferrari’s development options are constrained by Formula 1’s budget cap and aerodynamic testing restrictions. Nevertheless, Leclerc indicated that the team has further developments planned.
“Whether it’s going to be enough to close the gap, not knowing what the others have in store as well is another matter,” he added. “But surely, we’ve got a few things that should help us do some steps forward.”
Why This Matters
Ferrari’s unchanged car contrasted sharply with the major updates introduced by Red Bull and McLaren in Baku. Leclerc’s assessment suggests that Ferrari’s qualifying position did not reflect its underlying race pace, particularly against Red Bull on the straights. With development limited by the budget cap and aerodynamic testing restrictions, Ferrari must determine whether its planned upgrades can recover the ground lost to its rivals while Red Bull and McLaren continue their own development programmes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Charles Leclerc say Ferrari was slower in Azerbaijan?
Leclerc said Ferrari lacked raw pace and was especially vulnerable to Red Bull on the straights. He also pointed to the performance gains delivered by Red Bull and McLaren’s latest upgrades.
What upgrades did Red Bull and McLaren bring to Baku?
Both teams updated their sidepods, floors and diffusers. McLaren also introduced a revised engine cover, rear suspension and rear wing, while Red Bull brought new mirrors and a revised halo.
Does Ferrari have more upgrades planned?
Yes. Leclerc said Ferrari has “a few things coming” and expects them to help the team make progress, although he acknowledged that their effectiveness will depend partly on what Red Bull and McLaren bring next.
