Ferrari's Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend unravelled spectacularly as Lewis Hamilton plummeted from Friday's fastest driver to a shocking twelfth position on the starting grid.
The seven-time world champion had dominated initial practice sessions in Baku, setting the quickest times ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.
Yet Saturday's qualifying session exposed critical strategic miscalculations that left Hamilton eliminated during Q2.
Running on soft compound tyres whilst rivals opted for mediums, the British driver found himself unable to generate sufficient pace for progression to the final shootout.
Lewis Hamilton was furious with his Ferrari team
|REUTERS
"I'm obviously so disappointed," Hamilton told Sky Sports F1, acknowledging the stark contrast from his promising Friday performance to Saturday's unexpected early exit.
The Scuderia's qualifying nightmare was compounded when Leclerc, despite advancing to Q3 on medium tyres, immediately crashed at Turn 15 during his opening flying lap.
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The Monegasque driver's accident relegated him to tenth place, ending his remarkable streak of four consecutive pole positions at the Azerbaijan circuit.
Earlier chaos had marked Leclerc's Q2 progression, as he twice ran wide during crucial moments. His initial attempt saw him overshoot the first corner, triggering yellow flags that compromised Hamilton's following lap.
A subsequent error at Turn Three forced another aborted effort before he finally secured passage to the final session.
The medium compound tyres, which had enabled his Q3 qualification, ironically contributed to handling difficulties.
"I think Lewis was a lot more on the pace straightaway and more consistent than I've been during the weekend," Leclerc admitted afterwards.
Lewis Hamilton crashed out of Q2 in Baku
|REUTERS
Hamilton revealed that his qualifying disadvantage stemmed from having one fewer medium tyre available compared to his team-mate.
The allocation discrepancy arose after he'd used a set during Friday's second practice session, whilst Leclerc had exclusively run soft compounds that day.
When questioned about potentially switching to mediums during Q2's closing stages, Hamilton disclosed his frustration with the team's decision-making.
"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 explained.
The British driver emphasised that whilst a tyre change remained possible, Ferrari opted against it.
"Yeah, but the choice wasn't taken to take it," Hamilton stated, adding diplomatically: "Not great, but we'll take it internal."
Team principal Frederic Vasseur defended the strategic choices whilst acknowledging widespread uncertainty about tyre behaviour throughout the paddock.
Responding to Hamilton's comments about the aborted tyre change, Vasseur cited practical constraints: "We aborted lap one and you are not fuelling the car to do 10 laps more and we need to push."
The Frenchman suggested the tyre selection puzzle had confounded multiple teams rather than being a Ferrari-specific issue.
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Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur defended his decisions amid Lewis Hamilton's criticism
|REUTERS
"The tyres, honestly, it's a bit of a confusion but I think it's a bit of a confusion for everybody," Vasseur said.
"I think it's more to put the tyres in the right window than the choice of the tyre."
Despite the qualifying catastrophe, Hamilton maintained a philosophical outlook about his Baku weekend.
"As I said, there's been lots of positives from this weekend," he reflected, emphasising his strong underlying pace throughout practice sessions.
The former Mercedes driver expressed genuine surprise at the outcome, having anticipated competing for pole position. "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," Hamilton acknowledged.
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Lewis Hamilton reacts to a shock exit in Q2 😱 pic.twitter.com/hF4GnqFcUu
Nevertheless, he demonstrated characteristic resilience in accepting the setback. "I'll take it on the chin and keep trying," Hamilton concluded, refusing to let the disappointment overshadow his confidence in the car's fundamental speed.
Meanwhile, Leclerc's admission of inconsistency throughout the weekend underscored Ferrari's broader struggles in Azerbaijan.