Hamilton hails best Friday as Ferrari close on Baku pace

Ferrari impressed in Baku practice, with Lewis Hamilton upbeat after describing it as his strongest day yet in red.

"After the summer, Hamilton has taken a different approach," Ferrari ambassador Marc Gene told Sky Italia. "He feels more comfortable with the car, he no longer demands anything or complains, he is at one with it, and this shows on the track, where he is faster and more confident."

The Maranello cars looked competitive in both drivers' hands, though boss Frederic Vasseur urged caution. "Dreaming is not a good thing, we just have to focus on ourselves," he said. "The margins are slim, on Saturday there will be a very close group. The race simulation also went very well."

He warned against over-reading the data. "What are long runs of three to five laps worth?" Hamilton, who earlier in the season had called himself "useless," said it was "my best Friday practice" with Ferrari.

"I'm just so grateful that everyone in the team keeps pushing and supporting me. The patience and help everyone at the track and at the factory gives me strength," said the 40-year-old.

Charles Leclerc was more restrained. "The pace is good," he said. "But there's a big 'but' - McLaren seems to be from another planet. Some people will be very surprised tomorrow. Norris couldn't complete some laps that looked very impressive."

McLaren’s championship leader Oscar Piastri also tempered expectations. "We have the speed, but we can't access it so easily," said the Australian, as teammate Lando Norris damaged his car by hitting the wall. At Red Bull, Helmut Marko felt Max Verstappen was close to the McLarens before an error.

"Realistically, we're one to one and a half tenths behind the best time," he admitted. Verstappen himself said: "It wasn't bad at all. The car feels good, which is positive." Marko added: "We can prove here that Monza wasn't an isolated incident.

"I think we'll finish in the top three in qualifying. And that means we can also fight for the win. So the momentum is right, and the car now has a wider operating window, which makes it easier to set up. We've definitely taken a step forward there."

Former driver Alex Wurz told ORF: "McLaren will have to stretch itself against Ferrari and Mercedes, at least in qualifying."

Norris, finally, thinks Red Bull’s true pace is yet to come. "Red Bull is never good on Friday. They go to bed, wake up the next morning, and then they're just fast again."