Lewis Hamilton’s first season with Ferrari has been filled with challenges, but the seven-time world champion finally had reason to celebrate in Baku. After a shaky start to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, Hamilton turned things around in Friday’s practice sessions, leaving Ferrari fans — the Tifosi — buzzing with excitement about the team’s evident progress.
A rough start turns into a breakthrough
Lewis Hamilton’s opening run in FP1 was far from ideal. He ended the session down in 13th place, even making contact with the barriers while grappling with brake issues. Adjusting to Ferrari machinery at each new circuit has been no easy task, and the British driver admitted that the early session had been “a bit of a mess.”
However, changes made before FP2 paid immediate dividends. The Ferrari star clocked a session-topping lap of 1m 41.293s, leading a Scuderia 1-2 with Charles Leclerc close behind. The turnaround was enough to put a big smile on Hamilton’s face.
Lewis Hamilton on Ferrari’s Progress
Reflecting on the improvements, Hamilton said:
“We made some changes going into [FP2] and the brakes finally were working perfectly. I was able to really make some big advantages in terms of gaining on the brakes. I’m really happy to see the progress and it just goes to show the direction we’ve been going as a team.”
He credited Ferrari’s united effort, highlighting the support from both the Maranello factory and the trackside crew.
“I’m really, really grateful for everyone’s patience and everyone pushing so hard, because we’re really starting to see the progress come through.”
Lewis Hamilton also acknowledged the energy of the passionate Ferrari fans: “Then the Tifosi, we’ve been beaming from the energy from the Tifosi in the last race [at Monza] – I’m hoping to take that energy that they gave us all the way through the rest of the season.”
Charles Leclerc’s perspective and McLaren’s shadow
On the other side of the Ferrari garage, Charles Leclerc expressed cautious optimism. While pleased with the team’s overall performance, the Monegasque pointed out the looming threat of McLaren.
“Overall we seem to be pretty strong, so it’s good. But it looks like McLaren is in another world, literally… I doubt we will be in the fight with them, but compared to the others it seems that we are kind of in a good place.”
Leclerc stopped short of predicting a battle for victory but reminded fans that Baku often delivers surprises: “I’ll keep my hopes high, but it looks unlikely.”
Ferrari’s Turning Point?
While Lewis Hamilton stressed the importance of not getting carried away — reminding that “it’s just practice day” — the visible improvement in pace suggests Ferrari may be finding its rhythm. With Hamilton’s adaptation progressing and Charles Leclerc’s consistency, the Scuderia appear poised to keep the Tifosi’s hopes alive as the season unfolds.