Lewis Hamilton will love what Charles Leclerc said despite nightmare Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying

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Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have their work cut out going into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

It was yet another example during the 2025 Formula 1 season of Ferrari failing to deliver on their potential.

Lewis Hamilton topped FP2 in Baku, and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has been a happy hunting ground for Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc has been on pole position for each of the last four races in Azerbaijan, while Lewis Hamilton has only one victory at the circuit since it joined the calendar in 2016.

However, hopes were high going into qualifying before chaos ensued.

A grand total of six red flags set a Formula 1 record during a two-hour qualifying session, with Max Verstappen eventually taking pole position.

It was telling that neither Ferrari driver was in contention to try and claim pole during the final run, with Hamilton surprisingly eliminated in Q2 and Leclerc responsible for red flag number five after hitting the barriers at turn 15.

The Monegasque driver was understandably upset, but said something in his post-race interview that will provide Hamilton with some solace.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Charles Leclerc says Lewis Hamilton was on the pace ‘straight away’ after nightmare Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Leclerc was asked on Sky Sports F1 whether it was fair to say he was struggling to get into the flow at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this year after reaching Q3 but crashing out on his first flying lap.

He admitted: “Oh yeah, absolutely for me.

“I think Lewis was a lot more on the pace straight away and more consistent than I’ve been during the weekend.

“I’ve been struggling massively, which normally [when] I come to Baku and everything flows pretty naturally, but this year, unfortunately, it wasn’t the case.

“I kind of think I understood why, and then in qualifying, I changed a lot of the car to try and change the feeling, and the feeling was getting better until we actually put the medium tyre on, and then everything went…it was very, very difficult from the moment we put the medium tyres on.

“For some reason, it felt like the better tyre yesterday on our car. Today, it felt like we never could reach the right window of the tyres and that made it very tricky.”

Leclerc admitted there was an ‘opportunity’ to do something during Sunday’s race due to the mixed-up grid, but said it would be ‘tough’ to get to the front.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Fred Vasseur and Lewis Hamilton disagree after Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying woes

Hamilton was left frustrated during his final run in Q2, as he failed to improve on his best time and was eventually eliminated by Yuki Tsunoda.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur spoke after the session, but didn’t agree with one thing his star driver said.

Vasseur disagreed that Hamilton was on the wrong tyre during Q2, with the seven-time world champion admitting after the session that he wanted the medium compound.

In an unheard radio message on the broadcast, Hamilton was asking Ferrari for help during the session as he tried to negotiate the tricky conditions on track.

Overtaking should be possible for both Ferrari drivers during the race, but how much progress they can make with both McLaren drivers also out of position is yet to be seen.