After back-to-back pole positions for Charles Leclerc in Monaco and Baku, it was down to earth with a bump for Ferrari after they really struggled in France.
There weren’t really any signs of what was to come when Carlos Sainz qualified fifth and Charles Leclerc seventh on Saturday, as both had predicted they would be unable to threaten for pole again but still ensured they led the midfield. That didn’t last long on Sunday, though, as tyre issues saw them fade badly and both end up outside of the points.
It was the front tyres that hurt Ferrari in particular in France, so the lack of long, sweeping corners in Austria might play more to their strengths, but they will be worried by how badly they suddenly struggled because even Friday practice at Paul Ricard looked okay for the team.
Scuderia Ferrari believe they have a particularly small performance window with the Pirelli tyres on their car, and with three races in a row they don’t have a lot of time to work out ways of addressing it.
But if Ferrari can find a fix for Austria, they might be aiming particularly high on Saturday. That’s because 2021 has seen the midfield get closer to the top two teams, and that has been particularly obvious in qualifying.
Norris looked a threat for pole for McLaren in Imola, while Charles Leclerc duly took the two consecutive poles we mentioned on street circuits, where low-speed corners and traction were crucial. In Austria, it’s a slightly similar picture, with long straights and some medium-to-low-speed corners to deal with, although there are a few quicker sections than seen on a temporary track. Alpine have also been rapid in qualifying trim at times in places like Portimao and Spain, and AlphaTauri similarly tend to be in the mix, with Pierre Gasly threatening to take pole in Baku.
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