Ferrari finds crucial performance boost in Austria but needs further improvement amid setup challenges. Ferrari unlocks key performance gains at the Austrian GP with a new floor.

Charles Leclerc will start from the front row for the Austrian Grand Prix after Ferrari made setup adjustments during qualifying, particularly to the front wing flaps. These changes reduced understeer on entry, especially into Turn 4 and in the final sector, where high track temperatures had limited grip. By increasing downforce on the SF-25, Charles Leclerc benefited from better corner rotation.

Lewis Hamilton also delivered a solid performance, securing a spot on the second row despite a few small errors. Both he and Charles Leclerc were satisfied with the new floor, which helped improve performance in medium-to-high-speed corners. Lando Norris, however, was in a league of his own, taking an outstanding pole position with a gap of over half a second—proof of the MCL39’s impressive stability and grip.

Lewis Hamilton late on throttle
Telemetry analysis shows how Norris achieved his dominance. In the first sector, he gained around a tenth over rivals by accelerating well out of Turn 1. Top speeds at the end of both straights were similar between Ferrari and Mercedes power units, with Norris using less hybrid boost on the first straight.

At Turn 1, Lewis Hamilton braked late and carried similar mid-corner speed to Norris but delayed the apex and throttle application. Still, thanks to the SF-25’s strong efficiency, he recorded the highest top speed before Turn 3.

Ferrari struggles at Turn 4: Charles Leclerc too early on throttle
Charles Leclerc was fastest in the middle sector in terms of top speed. But Turn 4, slightly downhill, exposed Ferrari’s understeer issues. Despite improvements to front-end load during qualifying, both Ferrari drivers struggled with front rotation.

On exit, Charles Leclerc applied throttle earlier than Carlos Sainz, causing the rear to become unstable and triggering oversteer. In Turns 6 and 7, the Ferraris struggled with rear grip. Lewis Hamilton, in particular, had to open the steering wheel to avoid spinning, which forced him to extend braking and enter the corner 10 km/h slower than Norris. That’s where Norris extended his advantage with a lap 0.3s faster, aided by a stable car platform and a more effective floor that delivered greater aerodynamic load and sharper corner entry.

Tyre issues in sector three
In the final part of the lap, drivers adopted different lines in Turns 9 and 10 due to tyre overheating. Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and George Russell braked earlier than Norris, who had more grip and could carry more speed. To avoid losing the car on entry, the others had to slow down more. Telemetry shows Norris gaining time between Turns 9 and 10, although he did make a small mistake on exit, letting others slightly close the gap.

Charles Leclerc’s front-row start offers promising prospects for Ferrari. Their strong long-run pace in FP2, despite heavier fuel loads and lower engine modes, gives fans hope. While McLaren remains the clear favorite thanks to better tyre management and race pace in high temperatures, Ferrari’s qualifying step forward with the new floor keeps the race wide open.