Matthew Fisher’s march toward a 10th world title continues, but Round 3 in Azerbaijan proved to be his steepest mountain to climb yet. Despite a Ferrari front-row lockout in qualifying, Fisher produced a relentless pursuit to snatch victory in the dying stages of the race.

The Launch: Ferrari Flies, Smith Sighs At the start, Adam Chadwick and Bono Huis executed a perfect launch to hold a Ferrari 1-2 into Turn 1. Further back, the tight "Castle Section" claimed its first victim when Brad Smith and Andreas Bauer collided, ending Smith's race with terminal rear suspension damage.

The Middle Stint: The Hunter Becomes the Hunted Fisher jumped Jos Van Hallen early for P3 and spent the entire first stint as the "third man" in a Ferrari sandwich. While the two Ferraris battled each other for the lead, Fisher sat back, managing his tires and charging his battery. On Lap 8, the strategy shifted; Fisher bypassed Huis just as the Belgian dove into the pits.

The Climax: The Late Dive Following the pit cycle, Fisher and Chadwick emerged wheel-to-wheel. For several laps, Fisher’s Mercedes struggled with straight-line speed, allowing Chadwick to defend the lead on the long Baku main straight. However, Fisher eventually found his opening with a signature very late dive on the brakes to seize the lead.

While his teammate Sebastian Gunthensinter suffered a lonely spin that cost him multiple positions, Fisher pushed his Mercedes to the absolute limit. Despite visible sliding in the final corners, he crossed the line 3.2 seconds clear of the field.

Post-Race: "More Testing Needed" In a surprising post-race interview, Fisher admitted the car felt "unbalanced," suggesting that a rear suspension setup issue made the car difficult to drive. If Fisher can win while struggling with setup, the rest of the grid has a serious problem heading into Round 4.