The world of Formula 1 is never short on drama, and the qualifying session in Baku, Azerbaijan, proved this in the most spectacular fashion. The notoriously unpredictable street circuit is already famous for its surprises, but the events of this year’s qualifying surpassed all expectations, leaving Ferrari in disarray, Lewis Hamilton enraged, and fiery debates raging over the stewards’ decisions.

Kicking off this dramatic chain of events was Ferrari’s disappointing performance. After showing immense promise during the free practice sessions, with Lewis Hamilton topping the timesheets in FP2 and Charles Leclerc right behind in second, the Scuderia failed to convert that potential into results when it mattered. By the end of qualifying, Hamilton was languishing in a disappointing 12th place, while Leclerc managed only 10th. The reasons behind this collapse became the focal point of intense discussion.

For Charles Leclerc, disaster struck in Q3 when he lost control and crashed into the barriers at Turn 15 on his first flying lap. A momentary lapse in concentration, an ill-timed lock-up, and his dream of a strong starting position vanished. The crash not only ruined his qualifying but also raised concerns about the pressure he is under. The transcript paints a vivid picture of the Monegasque driver’s frustration: “The reason he’s in P10 is because in Q3 he crashed into the barriers at turn 15 on his first attempt after locking up and failing to make the corner.”

However, Lewis Hamilton’s story was even more complex and infuriating for the team’s supporters. Hamilton failed to even make it into Q3, a rare and startling outcome for the seven-time world champion. The critical issue was Ferrari’s tire choice. While many drivers found the medium compound tires to be faster on the challenging Baku circuit, Ferrari opted to put Hamilton on the soft tires in his bid for a Q3 spot. It was a strategic blunder, as Hamilton himself pointed out after the session. “The medium tire was just much quicker,” Hamilton was quoted by Planet F1. He elaborated that the team had initially run him on the mediums in Q2, and Charles was meant to do his second run on them as well. “All the top 10 basically had three mediums. We knew that the medium was quicker by… about 3/10s or something like that, and it felt great. We should have run it in Q2.” These words exposed a clear disagreement between the driver and the team’s strategy, unleashing a wave of criticism over Ferrari’s handling of the situation.

It wasn’t just the tire issue. Hamilton also hinted that some setup changes pushed by the team did not feel as good as the car had in FP2. “One of the things that kind of factored into it was a bit of direction the team were pushing for us to go with some of the setup that didn’t feel as good as FP2,” he revealed. Although he believed they had made significant progress and looked strong, being on the back foot with only two sets of new medium tires for a potential Q3 appearance put him at a severe disadvantage. “Ultimately, just not the best execution,” he concluded. “So definitely disappointed, but lots of positives to take.” His comments not only conveyed his personal frustration but also implied a critical error in the team’s strategic planning.

While Ferrari grappled with its internal issues, another story was capturing the fans’ attention: the performance of Kimi Antonelli. Despite a difficult Q1 session plagued by multiple red flags, Antonelli managed to advance to Q3 and brilliantly secured fourth on the grid—a stunning achievement for the young driver. However, his celebration was short-lived as he was placed under investigation after qualifying. “He was looked at by the stewards for overtaking two cars under yellow flags during the first part of qualifying in Baku.”

Fortunately for Antonelli, he escaped a grid penalty and was handed only a reprimand. The stewards issued a remarkably considerate verdict, acknowledging mitigating circumstances. “The driver of car 12 was not shown a yellow flag or yellow light panel; however, his dash did very briefly display a yellow indication which then disappeared,” the verdict stated. “The driver passed two cars, then the team advised him to abandon the lap as there was concern that perhaps there was a double yellow flag condition, when in fact there was not.” They concluded that no sporting advantage was gained and, consistent with previous similar instances, a reduced penalty of a reprimand was imposed. This decision brought a sigh of relief to his fans and showed a measured approach from the race officials.

However, the biggest bombshell of the Baku qualifying session arguably came from Esteban Ocon. The Alpine driver had already endured a terrible session, qualifying in a lowly 18th place. But things went from bad to worse when his car failed the post-session rear wing deflection test. “To make it worse for Ocon, his car failed the rear wing plane tip deflection test after qualifying,” the report confirmed. “So his car has been deemed illegal, and therefore he was disqualified from qualifying for the technical infringement.” The stewards detailed that the distance between the two rear wing sections exceeded the permitted 0.5mm, measuring 0.6mm on the left side and a significant 0.825mm on the right.

The Alpine team conceded that the test procedure was followed correctly but explained that the discrepancy was the result of a production or assembly issue with that specific part. The stewards, however, remained firm. “The stewards determined that the vehicle does not comply with the regulations and hence impose the usual penalty of disqualification from the qualifying classifications.” This decision sparked a fierce debate, with many questioning the severity of the penalty for what was claimed to be a manufacturing flaw rather than a deliberate attempt to gain an advantage.

The qualifying session in Baku left the paddock with a multitude of talking points. From Ferrari’s self-inflicted wounds of strategic errors and costly accidents to Kimi Antonelli’s promising performance and lucky escape, and finally to Esteban Ocon’s shocking disqualification over a technicality. These events not only reshaped the starting grid but also ignited passionate discussions about strategy, regulations, and technology in modern Formula 1. Fans around the world are now eagerly waiting to see how these dramatic twists will influence the outcome of the championship. Once again, Baku has proven that in the world of F1, anything can happen at any corner.