Ferrari secured a podium at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg with Charles Leclerc and a fourth place with Lewis Hamilton. This result, in the context of the Austrian Grand Prix, provided the Maranello team a much-needed breath of fresh air. The race was strong during the final two-thirds but was hampered by imperfect thermal management in the first stint. Most of the gap to the McLaren cars was accumulated after 27 laps due to the need to manage the brakes. McLaren, on the other hand, was unaffected by temperature issues.
Once again the Ferrari SF-25 cars were forced into repeated lift and coast. In the first stint, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc lost 0.5 and 0.7 seconds respectively to the leading cars, also slowed down by continuous lift-and-coast instructions from the pit wall. One of the car’s limits came from the front end, with the seven-time Formula 1 world champion particularly showing a clear lack of rotation in medium-speed corners. The British driver suffered from understeer that later turned into oversteer on corner exit.
The Ferrari drivers struggled in the latter part of the first stint, suffering more from tire degradation while the McLarens pushed hard and gained time. Oscar Piastri immediately pressured his teammate at the front, showcasing the true level of the MCL39. Ferrari, however, was betrayed by the high track temperatures close to 50 degrees celsius, which increased thermal wear on the rear tires.
Moreover, heat radiation from the track surface made managing heat between the engine and brakes difficult. This forced both drivers to lift earlier before the end of the straights in order to slow the car, using engine braking first, then applying the brakes. This technique reduced the braking power needed to slow the car and consequently lowered the heat generated.
On the other hand, Oscar Piastri managed his tires better than his McLaren teammate, closing part of the gap built up after the first stint. The Australian championship leader asked the team to delay his first pit stop to avoid getting too close to his teammate and better manage temperatures. Based on the telemetry related to the degradation data, Oscar Piastri gained a tire advantage during the early part of the stint.
This situation led to a bigger drop in performance for him toward the end. George Russell had an unremarkable race, again showing how the Brackley car struggles with high temperatures. The British driver lost over a second per lap at times, with very inconsistent pace. Undoubtedly, a race to review for the German team.
In the final part of the Austrian Grand Prix, Ferrari lost more ground, partly because the Maranello team eased off compared to the McLaren duo. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, fighting for the race victory, again showed superior pace, running about three-tenths faster. Thanks to the lighter car, the McLaren drivers managed temperatures better, suffering very low performance degradation. At Spielberg, the Italian team achieved its best result of the 2025 Formula 1 season. The improvement requested by the drivers with the new floor arrived, although the gap to McLaren remains significant due to various factors including downforce and tire management. Looking at the race overall, Charles Leclerc lost an average of 0.27 seconds per lap, particularly struggling in the first stint, with an accurate gap of 15 seconds to Lando Norris at that stage.
The Italian car’s poor thermal management partly comes from a front brake duct unable to dissipate heat effectively. Ferrari deputy team principal Jerome D’Ambrosio, who replaced Frederic Vasseur this afternoon, also mentioned this. The Italian team will need to work on this issue, as it is not the first time they have been forced into a strategy that ultimately limits the SF-25 car’s potential.
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