Hamilton praises Ferrari for overnight improvements amid Mercedes dominance in Spielberg
Fresh from his maiden Ferrari Formula One victory in Barcelona, Lewis Hamilton continued his strong form by qualifying third for Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix.
Though he briefly looked capable of challenging for pole, a scruffy first Q3 lap and balance issues prevented him from joining George Russell and Charles Leclerc on the front row.
After the session, Hamilton broke down his lap, Ferrari’s upgrades, and his expectations for the race: "I don’t know whether we could do the same time as those guys”
Hamilton was asked whether pole might have been possible had he completed two clean laps in Q3. He was quick to praise Russell and Ferrari’s progress.
“I don’t know whether we could do the same time as those guys. They’ve been quick all weekend, so congrats to George.”
He also highlighted Ferrari’s relentless development push: “It’s amazing to be up here with Charles. I think it’s such a great showing for Ferrari, and it really is a reflection of the hard work that everyone’s been putting in back at the factory.”
Ferrari brought both engine and chassis upgrades to Austria: “We got the new upgrade this weekend on the engine, which is a slight step forward.
"Then we also brought a couple of little pieces on the car, so every weekend it’s really great to see them pushing so much and just continuing to bring these pieces.”
Hamilton said the team’s hunger is visible: “You can tell they’re hungry and they’re pushing, which I’m really proud of, and that’s why we’re up here and as close as we are.”
“Yesterday we were like six tenths off in a straight line, and somehow today we’re closer. This morning in P3, I felt good with the laps, and then got to qualifying and struggled a little bit more with the balance, particularly on the brakes.”
His Q3 mistake proved costly: “And then Q3, made a mistake in Turn 1 and then Turn 3, and lost that lap. That really pushed me on the back foot, naturally, because you’ve got to squeeze out a lap.”
Given the circumstances, he was satisfied with P3: “So given that I missed that first lap, I’m pretty happy with that.”
Hamilton was asked whether he could repeat his Barcelona heroics in similarly hot conditions. He was realistic about Ferrari’s chances.
“I think this weekend we’ve not been confident that we could fight for a win. These guys have been six tenths quicker than us most of the weekend.”
“We closed the gap overnight three tenths, but we still are three tenths down today, or two‑and‑a‑bit tenths down today. It’s going to be very tough to challenge them tomorrow.”
Still, Hamilton sees an opportunity at the start: "With a long run down to Turn 3, hopefully together we can. It’s great having Charles here as well, because we can hopefully work together in a strategy and try to apply pressure to them.”
