Lewis Hamilton finished fourth at the Austrian Grand Prix, but it was a challenging and difficult race for both Ferrari drivers. Neither Lewis Hamilton nor his teammate Charles Leclerc could mount a serious challenge against the two leading McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. This was largely due to instructions from their engineers to lift and coast early in the race, which significantly limited their overall pace and race performance.
Throughout the entirety of the race, the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton maintained a consistent gap behind Charles Leclerc, securing his 10th points finish of the season for Scuderia Ferrari. Despite achieving a points-scoring finish, Lewis Hamilton’s visible frustration was evident over the team radio, as he openly acknowledged the need to fully understand the underlying reasons behind his lack of pace and competitiveness in the Ferrari SF-25.
Commenting extensively on the race strategy, veteran motorsport analyst Peter Windsor expressed serious doubts about Ferrari’s approach on his popular YouTube channel. He suggested that Ferrari’s race engineers did not effectively support Lewis Hamilton by forcing him into a two-stop pit strategy, which may have compromised his ability to compete at the front.
Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula 1 World Champion, also publicly questioned Ferrari’s race strategy during the Austrian Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Peter Windsor agreed that Lewis Hamilton was fully justified in disagreeing with his team’s decision when he was asked to pit again for a second stop. Windsor explained that Lewis Hamilton had complained on his second pit stop, believing strongly that he should have remained on track longer because his tyres were still in good condition and capable of lasting until the race finish.
Peter Windsor further added that Ferrari appeared to be committed to a rigid two-stop plan, influenced heavily by Pirelli’s pre-race predictions which forecasted that all teams would adopt a two-stop strategy. However, Windsor pointed out that both Liam Lawson and Fernando Alonso defied these predictions by successfully completing the race with a one-stop strategy, achieving very strong and competitive results. Windsor was critical of Ferrari for allowing this crucial conversation about pit stops to take place during the middle of the race, questioning what exactly was happening within Ferrari’s internal decision-making processes during the event.
Looking ahead to future races, Ferrari introduced an updated floor package at the Austrian Grand Prix, but the key technical upgrade is expected to be the revised rear suspension of the Ferrari SF-25 car. Lewis Hamilton remains optimistic that this important technical improvement will enhance the car’s overall performance and help to address the persistent problem of excessive plank wear that Ferrari has been struggling with.
This significant upgrade is anticipated to help Ferrari close the performance gap to the dominant Red Bull Racing team and the strong Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, as Lewis Hamilton has struggled throughout the season to fully exploit the potential of his current Ferrari SF-25 car. After the Spanish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton revealed that he had been severely affected by the car’s poor balance and handling characteristics, describing the SF-25 as having the worst balance he had ever experienced in his Formula 1 career.
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