Azerbaijan GP: Lewis Hamilton says he wants to apologise to Charles Leclerc after botched Ferrari swap as struggles continue
On Sunday, September 22, Ferrari’s mixed fortunes in Baku left Lewis Hamilton apologising to Charles Leclerc after a failed position swap at the 2025 Azerbaijan GP.
Ferrari’s afternoon went from frustrating to awkward when Lewis Hamilton bungled a team-ordered swap with Charles Leclerc.
The Scuderia had instructed Hamilton to let Leclerc through on fresher tyres to maximise points, but the Briton misjudged the moment and lost places in the process.
"Firstly...obviously I was quicker [in that moment of the race] but Charles was gracious to let me by,” Hamilton said, as quoted by Sky Sports F1.
"At the end I got the message really late on, and I was like zoned in on the car in front of me, even though there was like 0.0001% chance of passing, I was still hopeful maybe.
“And basically I did lift on the straight, and did actually brake, but he missed it by like four tenths.
"That was just a misjudgement by myself. I'll apologise to Charles. At the end of the day that's [only] eighth and ninth."
The error added to Hamilton’s downbeat mood after what he described as a “disappointing” weekend at Ferrari.
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Leclerc’s frustration, Ferrari’s flat result
Leclerc, who had been the quicker of the two for much of the race, managed to finish just behind Hamilton, though both Ferraris crossed the line outside the top six.
The Monegasque kept his reaction measured but admitted the lost time had hurt: “It was just messy. We didn’t maximise what we could have done today.”
"Honestly, for a P8 or a P9 it's not going to be a big talking point. I don't really mind,” Leclerc told Sky Sports F1.
"Obviously these are things we agree between us and the general rules of how we want to work whenever there is a swap.
"It didn't happen, and that's ok. It's not like I would have been a lot happier being P8, so I don't mind."
Ferrari, who came to Baku hoping to disrupt McLaren’s title chase, instead left with minimal points and more questions about their execution.
Contrast at the front
While Ferrari fumbled, Max Verstappen reminded the field of his authority.
The Dutchman converted pole into victory, securing his sixth career Grand Slam in commanding style, finishing over 14 seconds ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell.
Carlos Sainz salvaged pride for Williams with a surprise P3, leaving Ferrari with the uncomfortable reality of seeing a former driver on the podium while their own campaign stagnated.
Ferrari will be desperate to regroup ahead of Singapore, where the heat and the tight and twisty Marina Bay circuit offer little margin for error.
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