During the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton admitted on the post‑race press conference that he had been towed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for a significant portion of the race, a move that ultimately left him 0.5 seconds slower than he could have been. The 23‑time world champion said the strategy employed by Ferrari – keeping Leclerc on a softer tyre compound for the final stint – forced him to follow closely, limiting his ability to push hard and maintain a clear lead.
Hamilton’s remarks came after a race that saw him finish in a respectable third place, but he was unable to mount a challenge for the win after the early safety‑car period and the subsequent tyre strategy shuffle. He added that the decision to keep Leclerc on a different tyre set meant he had to keep a close distance to avoid a potential collision, effectively turning the race into a “towing” scenario. The British driver expressed frustration that this strategy cost him the opportunity to close the gap to the leaders.
Ferrari’s approach, which saw Leclerc start the final stint on a medium compound, was intended to preserve tyre life and give the Italian a better chance of overtaking the leaders in the closing laps. However, the tactic backfired for Hamilton, who found himself unable to exploit the full performance of his Mercedes‑W Ferrari‑Porsche hybrid. The 2024 season has seen teams experimenting with tyre strategies, and this incident underscores the fine balance between risk and reward on the challenging Baku street circuit.
For Indian fans, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was broadcast live on FanCode from 6:30 PM IST, with commentary in Hindi and English. The race’s final 10 laps were shown on a 1‑hour delay, giving viewers a chance to catch the drama of the tyre strategy showdown. Fans can also stream the full race on the FanCode app, where highlights and post‑race analysis are available shortly after the finish.
Source: Motorsport.com
