Baku exposed Ferrari’s fading edge—and Leclerc says it no longer has F1’s best chassis

Charles Leclerc’s front-row start in Baku could not mask Ferrari’s race-day deficit. He qualified second, more than eight-tenths of a second behind pole-sitter George Russell, then finished fourth. Lewis Hamilton came sixth as Russell won and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar completed the podium.13 After the race, Leclerc acknowledged that Ferrari no longer had Formula 1’s leading chassis and urged the team to face the gap to its rivals.20

Why Baku changed the picture for Ferrari

The contrast between qualifying and the race was stark: Leclerc put Ferrari on the front row, but could not turn that position into a podium. He lost places to Red Bull drivers during the race, while Hamilton finished 22.382 seconds behind Russell.318 Ferrari’s result showed that a strong single-lap performance was not enough to match its competitors over the Grand Prix distance.

That result supports Leclerc’s concern about Ferrari’s position, but it does not by itself prove that the chassis was the sole cause. Race performance reflects the car as a whole, and Ferrari’s power-unit performance, tyre preparation and energy management were also raised as areas to examine.610

The power unit and the wider performance gap

Leclerc raced with Ferrari’s upgraded power unit, yet the team still struggled to match the leaders in Baku. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur had acknowledged shortcomings on the engine side before the race, while Hamilton said Ferrari needed to understand its tyre preparation and energy management after finishing sixth.61020

Leclerc also said Ferrari needed further upgrades to close the gap to Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren. He described those teams as having moved ahead and said the deficit had persisted over several races.1718 The available reporting does not establish which specific rival upgrades created the difference; the clearer takeaway is that Ferrari’s current package was not delivering comparable pace in Baku.

Ferrari is second in the standings, but far behind Mercedes

Ferrari left Azerbaijan second in the constructors’ championship with 378 points. Mercedes led with 538, a 160-point advantage; McLaren was third on 306 and Red Bull fourth on 263.5 Ferrari’s position reflects consistent points collection, but the gap to Mercedes makes clear how far it is from the championship lead.

What the Vasseur–Horner speculation does—and does not—show

Performance concerns coincided with questions about whether Christian Horner might replace Vasseur. Vasseur called the repeated speculation frustrating and said it was affecting the team’s ability to work in a calm environment.3134 Those comments document the pressure around Ferrari, but the rumours are not evidence that the team has decided to change its team principal.

The takeaway

Baku gave Leclerc a concrete reason to challenge Ferrari’s former confidence in its chassis: a front-row start became a fourth-place finish, while Mercedes and Red Bull showed stronger race pace. But the weekend points to a broader package problem, not a chassis diagnosis in isolation. Ferrari’s upgraded power unit, ongoing engine concerns and the need for more development all remain part of the picture.