Charles Leclerc Unhappy About Lewis Hamilton Not Letting Him Pass at Baku
September 21, 2025
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Scuderia Ferrari Formula One driver Charles Leclerc was disappointed about his teammate Lewis Hamilton not giving back the eighth place during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He finished in P9, one place behind Hamilton.
Ferrari got off to a great start on Friday in FP2, with Hamilton and Leclerc going fastest. However, things went downhill from then on as Hamilton was knocked out in Q2 in qualifying, securing a P12 race start. Leclerc wasn’t too far away, as he started the race in P10.
In the Grand Prix, Hamilton made up places quickly until a point arrived where he was behind Leclerc. Having the pace advantage, Ferrari swapped positions to let Hamilton chase Lando Norris, Yuki Tsunoda, and Liam Lawson in front, provided he gave back the position at the end.
While the seven-time world champion managed to close the gap to the cars in front, he was unable to pass Norris due to the dirty air and the narrow turns that make overtaking nearly impossible. In the last lap, as Hamilton neared the finish line, he lifted off the throttle and even braked slightly to let Leclerc pass, but crossed the finish line before him.
Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari speaks in the media pen after the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on September 21, 2025 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari speaks in the media pen after the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on September 21, 2025 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Jayce Illman/Getty Images
Leclerc stated that while the race position did not matter much, since it was a P8 and P9 finish, it would be of concern to him if the same were to happen when both drivers were chasing higher positions in the future. He said after the Baku City Circuit race:
“I think it was very clear, but I really don’t care for an 8th place at the end. I don’t think that this should be the talking point. Unfortunately, we have been very slow all weekend and that’s where we should focus on. P8 or P9 or P9 or P8 is not something that really interests me, so it’s fine.”
A driver should give the place back if they haven’t passed the car in front, as per the team orders. When this was put to the Monegasque driver, who was then asked if he expected that to happen, he said:
“I mean, there are rules that we know we’ve got to work with and today maybe those rules were not respected, but again, P8, P9, P9, P8, that’s small going forward. Obviously, if we are fighting for sexier positions, which I hope it will be the case, then I hope that we will work in a different way. But on a day like that, honestly, I don’t really mind.”
Related: Lewis Hamilton Apologises to Charles Leclerc After Ferrari Clash at Baku
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