A 101-point gap to Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, coupled with a 145-point deficit in the constructors' championship, has all but ended Ferrari's title hopes. Tensions at Maranello, the team's historic base, only deepened after the Italian Grand Prix, where the two Ferrari drivers collided at Turn 2 at Monza. Lewis Hamilton had to settle for sixth place, while 28-year-old Charles Leclerc crashed out of the race altogether.
Ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Monegasque driver took full responsibility in front of a bruised team, openly admitting there were moments on track when he overstepped the mark. Hamilton had suggested there were no clear rules of engagement within the team run by Fred Vasseur, Ferrari's team principal. Yet after internal meetings, Leclerc firmly rejected that claim, insisting the team's guidelines are absolutely clear. The internal drama is not Ferrari's only concern. Another sporting setback awaits on the streets of Baku, where Leclerc has already been handed a grid penalty for an engine change.
