Hamilton hails Ferrari after "fantastic" qualifying result for the Maranello-based team

Ferrari's seven-time F1 world champion delivered a faultless performance in qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix to end up fourth on the grid for tomorrow's Spielberg race.

Ferrari introduced a heavily upgraded floor on its SF-25 at the Red Bull Ring in a bid to salvage their season which has been an up-and-down campaign so far.

While Friday's practice sessions did not bring a clear picture whether Ferrari achieved a real step with the new floor, the qualifying session saw Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton deliver the Scuderia's best qualifying result of the 2025 F1 season.

The Monegasque sat out the opening session as he handed over his SF-25 to F2 driver Dino Beganovic. The 27-year-old looked slightly off the pace in final practice, but he delivered when it really mattered by ending up second just behind Lando Norris.

His team-mate Lewis Hamilton has struggled in qualifying so far in 2025, but the seven-time F1 champion displayed eye-catching pace throughout the entire session. The Briton slightly underdelivered in Q2, but he was on the pace in the final qualifying segment to secure P4 on the grid.

Reflecting on his day, Hamilton reckoned: “It's a fantastic result. I think the team worked really hard back in the factory to bring us a new floor this weekend. Considering yesterday, we were a lot further off. I think it was six to nine tenths off.

“For us to be much closer and to be on the second row, I think that's really fantastic, and for Charles, obviously, he's on the front row. I think, ultimately, my last lap wasn't perfect. I think I could have been, I think if I'd finished it would have been second.

“I've been in this business for such a long time. You win some, you lose some. I'm grateful that we're on the second row at least. And usually our race is better, our car is better in the race generally than it is usually qualifying. So we've improved in qualifying as much as we can. Let's hope that we can carry that on into the race.

Speaking of the setup tweaks Ferrari have made between Friday and Satuday, the Briton noted: “The direction we went, I think, has been really positive. And I think edging closer in terms of performance to Charles, who's really, really used to the car, he hardly ever changes it. So I think that's really positive.”

"The car felt much better today after the changes we made overnight. We’ve done a really good job as a team to improve the package, so a big thank you to everyone at the track and back at the factory for their continued hard work.

"Our pace was encouraging yesterday, and with the step forward we’ve made today, I’m feeling positive about what’s possible tomorrow," concluded Hamilton.