Ferrari’s real pace remains a mystery as Charles Leclerc highlights unexpected weakness in Austria. Charles Leclerc reveals where Ferrari is losing time after challenging Austrian GP practice.

Ferrari began the Austrian Grand Prix weekend well off the leading pace, much like it did in Barcelona. However, just as it did two weeks ago, there is growing speculation that the Scuderia may not have revealed its full potential during Friday’s practice sessions. Charles Leclerc addressed both that theory and his own first day on track after sitting out FP1.

During the opening practice session, Charles Leclerc handed his SF-26 over to Dino Beganovic, as required by FIA regulations obliging every team to field rookie drivers during several free practice sessions throughout the season. While Lewis Hamilton stepped aside in Barcelona, it was the Monegasque driver’s turn in Austria.

Despite having only FP2 to familiarise himself with the car and track conditions, the Monegasque adapted quickly. Nevertheless, Ferrari’s overall level of competitiveness left plenty to be desired.

Charles Leclerc: “We’re surprised by our pace in the corners”

Reflecting on a difficult Friday for the Scuderia, Charles Leclerc admitted that Ferrari has significant work ahead before qualifying.

“It wasn’t an easy Friday. At the moment, we don’t look competitive. There’s a lot of work to do on the car. We’ll analyse everything and work hard tonight, hoping to make a big step forward tomorrow.”

Charles Leclerc then explained where the SF-26 is currently losing the most time to its rivals and highlighted the areas Ferrari must address overnight.

“We’re losing too much time on the straights. We’re also a bit surprised, and not in a positive way, by our performance in the corners. We’re simply not competitive through the corners, and that’s what we need to fix. I don’t think we have any solutions for the straights, so I believe that’s where we’ll struggle this weekend.”

Ferrari searching for answers overnight

The Monegasque driver admitted that neither Ferrari driver was satisfied with the car after Friday’s running, but he remains confident the data collected throughout the day will help the team make meaningful improvements.

“It was a difficult Friday for the team. I think both Lewis and I are not happy with the car at the moment, but we’ll work hard to make tomorrow a better day. Today we gathered a lot of data that will give us useful indications about the areas of the car we can work on this evening. We weren’t as competitive as we wanted to be, and our goal is to make the necessary improvements so we can fight with our rivals tomorrow.”

Despite Ferrari’s apparent lack of pace, there is still a feeling that Friday’s performance may not tell the whole story. The Scuderia clearly still needs to improve the SF-26’s balance and overall optimisation, but there are also suggestions that the team may have been keeping something in reserve during practice.

The 28-year-old’s comments could also be interpreted as an attempt to keep expectations under control, particularly given how quickly optimism or criticism can build around Ferrari. Saturday’s qualifying sessions should provide a much clearer indication of the team’s true level of competitiveness.

“Overall, we’re lacking grip. The car has been sliding on all four tyres from my very first lap, which made things extremely difficult. The biggest issue is simply that we don’t have enough pace. Maybe after 20 laps we’re quick, but waiting 20 laps isn’t enough,” Charles Leclerc concluded.