F1 Azerbaijan GP: McLaren hunts for traction, Red Bull tweaks mechanical setup. McLaren struggles with traction while Red Bull works on mechanical balance in FP2 at the Azerbaijan GP.

McLaren and Red Bull are two F1 teams that Frederic Vasseur, Lewis Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc consider well-prepared for the Azerbaijan GP weekend. In fact, no one would argue otherwise, although today Ferrari appeared decisively more ready. It’s important to note that it’s only Friday, and a few issues prevented the teams mentioned from getting the most out of their cars.

McLaren struggles with acceleration phases

The goal for the Woking team this weekend is clear: aim for a one-two finish. The target is far from lost, as tomorrow offers enough time to optimize the MCL39 setups and maximize performance. The first two free practice sessions in Baku were challenging for the reigning world champions.

McLaren appeared to struggle, according to the drivers’ feedback. The MCL39 clearly has potential, but much of it remained untapped in FP2. That said, it would be premature to write off the historic British team from the fight at the front.

We expect a strong recovery in FP3. In terms of handling, the car shows good grip levels, although the balance was not yet perfect today. The MCL39 is agile through medium-speed corners and can carry slightly more downforce than the Ferrari. The front end works exceptionally well, providing real gains on corner entry.

However, the car tends to lose traction on corner exit due to oversteer. Both drivers face challenges in this area and are not yet fully comfortable. The team still needs to find the ideal compromise, and Lando Norris feels he is still getting up to speed with the C6, Pirelli’s softest tire.

Red Bull seeks the right setup

As for the Milton Keynes squad, there is plenty of work to do. Red Bull will need to carefully study the car overnight to make progress in fine-tuning the setup, preparing for tomorrow’s qualifying. Max Verstappen’s natural talent in optimizing a flying lap will only shine if the car is correctly balanced.

The reigning world champion repeatedly reported issues with braking over the radio. According to Verstappen, there is still significant performance to extract from this fundamental area, requiring mechanical adjustments. The RB21’s balance did not meet expectations, and compared to Ferrari today, the car’s weakest point is acceleration.

Rear grip is often limited to balance traction and lateral grip, affecting tire performance. Verstappen described the RB21’s rear as “loose,” noting it tends to overheat during a lap—one of the issues highlighted in our preview.

The simulator work overnight will provide the tools for a major setup change. In race-trim simulations, Red Bull looked comfortable. Their lap times were slightly slower than Ferrari’s, but not by much considering the challenges faced. It’s still worth waiting, as limited high-fuel runs today do not provide fully reliable data.