Formula 1 returned to the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix, with Ferrari arriving in Spielberg hoping to build on the encouraging signs shown during qualifying. The Scuderia had a genuine opportunity to deliver a strong result after locking out the second and third positions on the starting grid. With Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton lined up directly behind pole-sitter George Russell, Ferrari had two cars capable of putting pressure on Mercedes from the very beginning of the race.
However, beating the Brackley-based team was always going to be a very difficult task, especially considering the strength of the Mercedes power unit on Spielberg’s long straights. Kimi Antonelli was also targeting victory after showing impressive pace throughout the weekend, while tyre degradation was expected to play a decisive role in determining the overall race pace across the full race distance.
Both Ferrari drivers made clean and controlled starts when the lights went out, but neither Charles Leclerc nor Lewis Hamilton gained enough momentum to improve their positions before Turn 1. Lewis Hamilton was immediately the more aggressive of the two Ferrari drivers, overtaking his Maranello teammate in the second sector with a decisive and confident move before immediately setting off in pursuit of George Russell to remain within striking distance of the race leader.
Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, lost another position to Max Verstappen, who expertly took advantage of the battle unfolding between the Monegasque driver and Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli. It was a frustrating opening phase for Ferrari, as both drivers quickly found themselves fighting defensive battles rather than attacking the cars ahead. By lap four, tyre management had already become one of the biggest talking points of the afternoon. Ferrari informed both drivers that the rear tyres were beginning to overheat, making careful management absolutely essential if they wanted to preserve race pace over the opening stint.
Two laps later, Kimi Antonelli closed rapidly on Charles Leclerc and completed an overtake in the third sector without much difficulty, highlighting the impressive speed of the young Italian driver. At the same time, Lewis Hamilton also started to struggle as George Russell gradually extended his advantage to around three seconds. The seven-time world champion also had to defend constantly from Max Verstappen, whose Red Bull was now filling Lewis Hamilton’s mirrors and applying relentless pressure lap after lap.
Race engineer Carlo Santi informed Lewis Hamilton over the radio that he needed to manage the rear tyres carefully through the high-speed corners in order to keep temperatures under control and avoid excessive overheating. The message underlined just how critical tyre preservation had already become only a handful of laps into the race. Despite Max Verstappen remaining glued to the Ferrari’s gearbox for several laps, the Briton initially managed to keep the four-time Formula 1 world champion behind him, defending strongly while attempting not to compromise his own tyre life.
Ferrari vs Verstappen: Lewis Hamilton loses out
The first round of pit stops began on lap 13, with Lewis Hamilton switching to the hard compound as part of Ferrari’s preferred “Plan A” strategy. Carlo Santi stressed over the radio that the out-lap would be absolutely critical, as extracting immediate performance from the hard tyres would determine whether Ferrari could remain competitive during the middle phase of the race. Lewis Hamilton reported that warming up the hard tyres was proving even more difficult than expected, making the first few laps after the stop particularly challenging.
While the Ferrari pit wall requested a target lap time of 1:11.7, Charles Leclerc was informed that his front wing would be adjusted by five clicks during his own pit stop in an effort to improve the balance of the SF-26.
Lewis Hamilton gradually improved his pace and successfully reached Ferrari’s requested target lap time. Tyre management remained an essential priority throughout the stint, although it was equally clear that the seven-time world champion needed to push whenever the opportunity presented itself. The Monegasque also completed his pit stop, but shortly afterwards Max Verstappen closed in on the Ferrari and completed the overtake.
Lewis Hamilton suggested over the team radio that he understood exactly why it had happened, explaining that he had noticeably less grip than the Red Bull and that his energy deployment was not functioning as efficiently as expected during the key acceleration zones.
Carlo Santi attempted to calm the seven-time Formula 1 world champion by encouraging him to focus solely on his own pace rather than worrying about the cars around him. Charles Leclerc was running behind on a similar rhythm, while both Ferrari drivers were informed that degradation on the hard tyres was proving lower than originally anticipated before the race. Lewis Hamilton was also advised to carry slightly more speed through the apex of Turn 1 to maximise lap time without increasing tyre degradation too significantly.
Just two laps later, the race produced its first major twist when Carlos Sainz was forced to retire, triggering a Virtual Safety Car. Ferrari initially attempted to call Lewis Hamilton into the pits during the neutralisation, but he had already passed the pit entry on the main straight before receiving the instruction. As a result, he stopped one lap later instead, fitting a fresh set of soft tyres. Carlo Santi confirmed that Ferrari remained fully committed to Plan A, reminding Lewis Hamilton that he would need to complete a demanding 20-lap stint on those tyres if the strategy was to work successfully.
Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli overtook Charles Leclerc once again, leaving the Monegasque driver focused entirely on maintaining his own pace and protecting his tyres for the remainder of the race. It was becoming increasingly clear that Ferrari was struggling to consistently match the speed of both Mercedes and Red Bull over a race stint.
The race then entered a quieter phase, although there was still plenty of work taking place over the Ferrari radio. Lewis Hamilton was instructed to carefully manage the Ferrari’s temperatures, forcing him to lift and coast for several laps rather than pushing flat out. This type of management inevitably cost lap time, but it was considered necessary to protect the car and maintain reliability. Fortunately for the British driver, this phase did not last particularly long and he was eventually allowed to return to full attack. His race strategy remained difficult to judge, however, as he had already completed one more pit stop than several of his direct rivals, meaning Ferrari would need fresher tyres to make that strategy pay off.
Charles Leclerc also had to operate within strict reliability parameters to protect his SF-26 throughout the middle phase of the race. Shortly afterwards, Lewis Hamilton caught his teammate and completed an impressive move around the outside, despite Charles Leclerc making the overtake as difficult as possible. It was one of the strongest overtaking manoeuvres of the Briton’s afternoon. One lap later, Charles Leclerc returned to the pits for his second stop, fitting another set of hard tyres in an effort to complete the remaining distance with consistent pace.
Ferrari’s race pace falls below expectations
On lap 41, Lewis Hamilton was still unhappy with the behaviour of his Ferrari. He reported that the car was lacking power while also suffering from excessive front-end rotation during corner entry, making it increasingly difficult to drive consistently. At the same time, Charles Leclerc was producing competitive lap times on his fresh tyres.
Race engineer Bryan Bozzi reminded the Monegasque driver to pay closer attention through Turns 4 and 6 in order to manage the car’s energy more effectively and maximise efficiency over the remainder of the stint. Two laps later, Lewis Hamilton made his third pit stop, once again fitting a fresh set of hard tyres.
With around 20 laps remaining, the overall picture had become increasingly clear. Ferrari simply did not have the pace required to fight at the very front of the field. Even Max Verstappen’s Red Bull appeared to enjoy a clear performance advantage during the longer runs. At that stage, the most realistic objective for the Scuderia had become finishing directly behind the Dutch driver while extracting the maximum result available.
Lewis Hamilton overtook Charles Leclerc once again before immediately setting off in pursuit of Oscar Piastri, who still held an advantage of around three seconds thanks to completing one fewer pit stop than the Ferrari driver. Lewis Hamilton pushed extremely hard in an attempt to close the gap to the McLaren driver, producing several competitive laps as he tried to exploit his fresher tyres.
Charles Leclerc, by contrast, gradually lost performance during the closing stages and was overtaken by Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull before dropping to seventh place. Lando Norris then also passed the Ferrari driver, further highlighting the difficulties the Monegasque was experiencing with tyre degradation during the final stint. Over the team radio, Charles Leclerc reported that his tyres were completely finished, perfectly summarising the difficult afternoon Ferrari was enduring. That message also explained Ferrari’s decision to bring him in for an additional pit stop, helped by the comfortable gap that had opened behind Liam Lawson.
During the closing ten laps, Lewis Hamilton did absolutely everything possible to close the remaining gap to Oscar Piastri. The British driver extracted everything available from the SF-26, but despite his determination and strong final stint, he was ultimately unable to complete the move and had to settle for his finishing position.
Fifth and eighth place represented a deeply disappointing result for Ferrari, and there is little doubt about that conclusion. The characteristics of the Red Bull Ring certainly did not favour the SF-26, particularly on the long straights where the Ferrari continued to lose valuable time. However, beyond the apparent engine deficit, Ferrari also lacked the overall race pace needed to consistently fight with Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull throughout the afternoon.
The Austrian Grand Prix demonstrated that qualifying performance alone is not enough if race pace cannot be maintained over a full Grand Prix distance. Ferrari showed flashes of competitiveness during individual phases of the race, but those moments were not enough to challenge for the podium or the victory. Instead, the Scuderia was forced to limit the damage on a difficult afternoon in Spielberg.
The Maranello team’s attention now immediately turns to Silverstone, with another important Formula 1 weekend arriving in just a few days. Ferrari will be hoping that the characteristics of the British circuit allow the SF-26 to show much stronger race pace and return to the fight at the front of the field.
