Ferrari entered round 11 of the 2025 Formula 1 championship hoping to fight for the win. A tough challenge, considering McLaren’s flawless form. Still, the Maranello team believed it could pull something off at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, even though Frederic Vasseur had to leave the track early due to personal reasons. Race pace and tyre temperature management were the two key factors, and they were closely linked.
Now let’s take a detailed look at how events unfolded for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in the Austrian Grand Prix. The first key moment was Carlos Sainz’s Williams brakes catching fire at the end of the pit lane. The Spaniard had failed to start the formation lap, prompting race control to restart the procedure. Everyone returned to the grid, while the former Ferrari driver was forced to start from the pit lane. Unfortunately, the high temperatures played a nasty trick, setting the braking system of car number 55 ablaze. Before the race even began, the first retirement was confirmed.
Race control delayed the start by 15 minutes to ensure the track was safe. At 15:15, engines fired up and the lights came on. The SF-25 cars were fitted with medium tyres, and everything seemed ready for the start. Oscar Piastri got the better launch, surprising Charles Leclerc, who was also hindered by a firm move from Lando Norris.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton defended hard from George Russell, immediately responding to a pass in sector two. Then came the first twist: Kimi Antonelli overdid it and hit Max Verstappen, causing a multi-car collision. The Safety Car was deployed. Marshals quickly cleared the debris and the race resumed by lap 3. Charles Leclerc tried to stay with the two McLaren cars using the three DRS zones.
His race engineer Bryan Bozzi quickly intervened, instructing the Monegasque driver to lift and coast to keep temperatures under control. A similar situation unfolded for Lewis Hamilton. The MCL39 cars were clearly more efficient and pulled away, making life harder for Ferrari. With the need to ease off the throttle on two of the three straights, the Ferraris struggled to maintain pace. The radio messages became repetitive: “lift and coast” every lap.
By lap 13, Lewis Hamilton’s strategy came into discussion. His engineer, Riccardo Adami, confirmed they were on plan B. Like Bryan Bozzi, he insisted on managing temperatures. Charles Leclerc began to lose ground, almost five seconds now separated him from Lewis Hamilton. It wasn’t clear whether it was a strategic pace choice or actual performance trouble.
One lap later came a key hint: “tyres are ready.” This suggested the British driver had intentionally preserved his tyres for a stronger end to the stint. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, complained of small lock-ups, especially in Turn 1, making car control more difficult. Yet the pit wall’s reply remained unchanged: each lap had to be managed with lift and coast.
In the final laps of the first stint, Ferrari’s pace came closer to that of McLaren, although the papaya cars continued battling for the lead. Oscar Piastri kept attacking, but Lando Norris defended smartly. The first tyre phase update also came in, giving the pit wall detailed information on tyre wear. The first pit stop came on lap 26, with the Monegasque switching to hard tyres. A front wing adjustment was made—two clicks down. A lap later, his Maranello teammate followed with the same tyre and setup choice. Charles Leclerc rejoined in traffic, needing to pass Fernando Alonso and Liam Lawson, who were still on their first stint.
Car number 16 quickly cleared both and resumed his pace, careful not to overwork the tyres. Lewis Hamilton did something similar: a strong pass on Fernando Alonso down the straight and a bold move on Liam Lawson around the outside of Turn 6, barely avoiding the grass. The timing screens told the story: McLaren was unfortunately in a different league, but at least this time Ferrari was the best of the rest. The fight now became internal at Maranello. A podium was the top target, as the McLarens had a clear edge. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton pushed to the limit in a duel separated by mere tenths of a second.
Around lap 50 came the second round of pit stops. Once again, Charles Leclerc was the first to pit, switching to a new set of medium tyres to finish the race. Lewis Hamilton was expected to pit too, but over the radio he insisted his current set still felt good and preferred to stay out. The Briton repeated it several times, but Riccardo Adami remained firm, eventually ordering him into the pits.
The Brit reluctantly complied. With 19 laps to go, barring any surprises, the final positions seemed locked in. Charles Leclerc had maintained a stronger pace, which earned him the final podium spot without serious threat from his teammate, who finished fourth. Overall, Ferrari’s performance was positive. McLaren’s clear advantage was undeniable, but there was an encouraging sign for the Maranello team, namely the new floor. It allowed the red cars to decisively outpace the rest of the field. This must now be the foundation for Ferrari’s rebuild, as they await the next aerodynamic upgrade package, which will hopefully be ready for the Silverstone round and will focus on the rear end and mechanical dynamics.
— see video above —
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