The Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku is one of modern Formula 1’s most dramatic, unpredictable, and visually striking races and in 2025 it delivered once again. For Charles Leclerc, though, it was more of a frustrating cautionary tale than a triumph. Here’s what makes Baku special, what went down this year, and how Leclerc’s weekend played out.
The Magic and Mayhem of Baku
The Baku City Circuit is not your average track. A 6.003 km street circuit weaving through the heart of the Azerbaijani capital, it combines soaring speed on long straights with super-tight, unforgiving sections around the Old City walls.
The contrast between ultra-fast and ultra-technical means that mistakes at any point cost dearly. One misjudged corner, one tiny lock-up, and you’re in the barrier.
Safety cars, red flags, nail-biting qualifying sessions, Baku routinely provides all of those. Over the years, it has produced chaotic qualifying moments and wild races. The scenery adds to the atmosphere, racing past historic landmarks, the old city, mixed with modern skyscrapers and the Caspian breeze. It’s a race that feels both ancient and high tech.
What Happened in 2025: Drama and Dominance
In the 2025 Azerbaijan GP Max Verstappen was dominant. He took pole, led every lap, set the fastest lap, and converted it into a clean “grand slam” victory. Oscar Piastri, the championship leader before Baku, had a terrible weekend. He crashed out on lap one after a jump-start and corner misjudgement, a huge blow to his title hopes.
Carlos Sainz Jr. secured a surprise podium with Williams (their first full-distance podium since 2021), showing that surprises are never far in Baku.
Charles Leclerc’s Rolling Wave of Frustration
For Leclerc, the weekend was frustrating if not disastrous, especially for someone who has had strong runs in Baku historically. This is a venue where he had previously taken four pole positions.
Qualifying Woes
Charles tried to stake his claim on pole, but a crash in Q3 derailed that plan. Starting well down the grid after qualifying damage meant an uphill battle for Sunday.
The Race Itself
Leclerc finished ninth, scoring points but far from where he’d hoped.
A few moments worth noting ….early on, after a safety car restart, Leclerc made a good move on Lando Norris to take P8. But that positive momentum was tempered by strategy and tyre disadvantages later. Leclerc had allowed Hamilton through into eighth place with seven laps remaining to give the seven-time world champion the opportunity to use his fresher tyres to chase down the cars in front. The switch was made on the understanding that Hamilton would give the position back to Leclerc should he be unsuccessful in his attempts to advance, but the Brit failed to slow down sufficiently on the approach to the chequered flag and finished ahead of Leclerc.
Apparently the swap instruction came late and was misjudged by Hamilton, meaning the swap failed, causing tension for both drivers.
Leclerc himself admitted that crashing in qualifying was a pivotal error, starting from tenth just made everything that much harder.
What Baku Shows Us About Leclerc and Ferrari
Qualifying remains king in Baku. Mess up there and you’re fighting ghosts in the race. Leclerc has shown in past years that he can be super strong in qualifying at Baku, but 2025 reminded us how costly even slight errors are. Strategy and tyre management are just as important as raw pace. With limited overtaking opportunities in certain parts (especially the narrow Old City section), getting the strategy right (pit timing, tyre choice) can be the difference between a point and nowhere. Leclerc was on older tyres late in the race.
Team orders and timing cost. The late swap issue with Hamilton showed how split-second calls (or miscommunications) can have outsized impacts.
For Leclerc, Baku 2025 stings. Historically, Baku has been one of his stronger tracks: pole positions, competitive pace; but also volatile, so it’s a double-edged sword.
Ferrari will want to channel what is redeemable from this weekend. The race pace was okay, Leclerc had good early moments, and he avoided major incidents in the race. They’ll need to fix the qualifying issues, sharpen the strategy calls, and ensure better coordination between teammates if they want to challenge at tracks with similar traits later in the season.
