2026 Austrian GP FP3: Ferrari reveals more of its true pace – what can the Scuderia realistically target in qualifying?
After a frustrating and somewhat mysterious Friday at the Red Bull Ring, Ferrari arrived for the final practice session with one clear objective: reverse the disappointing picture that had emerged during the opening day of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend. The overnight work appears to have delivered encouraging results, as Lewis Hamilton finished third, just 0.115 seconds off the pace, while Charles Leclerc ended FP3 in seventh, 0.356 seconds behind the session leader.
The biggest question now is whether Ferrari has finally revealed its true level of competitiveness, or if there is still more performance waiting to be unlocked ahead of qualifying.
Ferrari responds after Friday’s concerns
Friday had left Ferrari with plenty to analyse. The SF-26 struggled not only in straight-line speed but also through several high-load corners, raising questions about both the car’s balance and the effectiveness of its new ADUO power unit package.
Several factors were believed to have contributed to the apparent performance deficit. Alongside Ferrari’s conservative engine mapping, the high altitude of the Red Bull Ring may have amplified the limitations of the Scuderia’s compact turbocharger. The car also lacked the balance needed to consistently maximise its aerodynamic potential.
Ferrari responded with an intensive overnight programme. Reserve driver Antonio Giovinazzi spent hours in the simulator in Maranello, while both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc remained at the circuit late into the evening, working alongside Head of Track Engineering Matteo Togninalli to identify possible setup improvements.
Clear improvements during FP3
Like the other leading teams, Ferrari waited around 15 minutes before beginning its qualifying simulations on the soft tyre compound. The first runs immediately suggested that the overnight work had delivered tangible progress.
According to telemetry analysis by Federico Albano, the SF-26 was no longer reaching its speed limitation before Turn 9, although the car still appeared to lose performance on the approach to Turn 4.
Lewis Hamilton’s second flying lap proved particularly encouraging. Despite finishing only 0.257 seconds behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the seven-time World Champion lost almost three tenths after making a mistake at Turn 3, suggesting there was still considerably more lap time available. Charles Leclerc also produced a competitive effort, placing himself just over one tenth behind the leading Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton later improved his performance through the middle sector, although he could not better his overall lap time, while Charles Leclerc managed to lower his personal best despite remaining on a used set of soft tyres. At that stage, Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes continued to look like the benchmark.
Charles Leclerc began another qualifying simulation before deciding to return to the pits, later reporting over team radio that the steering wheel delta display was not providing accurate reference times through several corners.
Overnight simulator work pays dividends
The setup changes developed overnight appeared to leave both Ferrari drivers considerably happier with the behaviour of the SF-26. During the final 15 minutes, every leading team switched to fresh soft tyres for one last qualifying simulation.
Lewis Hamilton produced an excellent lap, setting the fastest first sector of anyone in the field. Charles Leclerc, however, locked up at Turn 3 and was forced to abandon his attempt before completing the lap. Overall, the Monegasque continued to appear slightly less comfortable with the car than his teammate. He also reported over the radio that he was not fully satisfied with some of the setup adjustments made earlier in the session.
Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, encountered a late lock-up approaching Turn 3 before informing Ferrari of an unusual gearbox behaviour that briefly triggered anti-stall despite an apparent gear shift.
What can Ferrari target in qualifying?
Compared to Friday, Ferrari’s progress was significant. The overnight setup work appears to have moved the SF-26 much closer to its ideal operating window, while the power unit also seemed to run with fewer restrictions than during the opening practice sessions.
At present, Mercedes still appears to hold a slight advantage, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli looking like the favourite for pole position. Even so, Ferrari has clearly closed much of the gap and should be firmly in contention for at least the second row of the grid. If Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc can extract a little more from the SF-26 during qualifying—and if Ferrari has indeed kept a small margin in reserve—the Scuderia could yet challenge much closer to the front than Friday’s results initially suggested.
The first real verdict of the weekend will arrive when qualifying begins at 16:00 local time.
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