Ferrari set Baku target as Rosberg pinpoints team's repeat flaw

Ferrari head to Baku with team principal Frederic Vasseur calling for cleaner execution after a costly run of results has left both championship hopes hanging by a thread. The Scuderia have managed just one podium from the last five rounds, and Nico Rosberg believes the team's recurring flaw remains strategy and communication.

Why it matters:

Ferrari's 18-year title drought looks set to continue. Lewis Hamilton now trails championship leader Kimi Antonelli by over 100 points, and Ferrari sit 145 behind Mercedes in the constructors' standings. McLaren, meanwhile, have outscored them at each of the last four rounds and are just 52 points behind Ferrari with nine rounds left.

The details:

• Vasseur stressed that the SF-26 has shown a "good level of competitiveness" but that "it is important to put every part of the weekend together."
• Baku's wall-lined streets place a premium on driver confidence and punish small mistakes. "The weekend can throw up several variables, so we need to stay focused on ourselves," Vasseur said.
• Rosberg's verdict: Speaking on The F1 Show podcast, the 2016 champion said Ferrari "always have messy weekends" and that the "Achilles' heel is still in the strategy area, communication area."
• Close but not enough: In Madrid, Hamilton held provisional pole after the first Q3 runs but ended up fourth. Rosberg noted he was on course for a comfortable P2 finish before brake problems forced his retirement.
• Since winning the British Grand Prix in early July, Ferrari's only podium from the last five rounds is Leclerc's P2 at Spa.

What's next:

Ferrari need a clean weekend at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which takes place on Saturday as part of a triple-header. With nine rounds remaining, Vasseur insists the focus is on adapting to whatever situations arise and maximizing every opportunity. But as Rosberg warns, until Ferrari fixes its operational weaknesses, raw pace alone won't be enough.