Ferrari Struggles with Pace at Austrian Grand Prix, Hamilton Fifth and Leclerc Eighth
Scuderia Ferrari HP endured a challenging Austrian Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton finishing fifth and Charles Leclerc eighth due to lack of race pace and high tyre degradation.
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What Happened
Scuderia Ferrari HP struggled for race pace from the opening laps of the Austrian Grand Prix at Spielberg. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc drove defensively, with Hamilton finishing fifth and Leclerc eighth. The team attempted a three-stop strategy but it did not work out. They will analyze data ahead of the British Grand Prix.
“The team did a great job with the pitstops but it's clear we're still struggling on the straights and tyre degradation was quite high.”
“We pushed hard in the opening laps and then reacted too aggressively with the strategy, trying to stay with them when, realistically, that wasn't our race. We will learn from this, refocus on ourselves and immediately turn our attention to the British Grand Prix next week.”
Why this matters
This race shows how sensitive the new Formula 1 cars are to setup and strategy, and highlights the challenges teams face in balancing qualifying performance with race pace.
Terms in This Story
- Scuderia
- Italian term for 'stable', used to refer to Ferrari's racing team.
- SF-26
- Designation for Ferrari's 2026 Formula 1 car.
- Tyre degradation
- The loss of tire grip and performance over the course of a race stint.
- Pitstop
- A scheduled stop during a race for tire changes, refueling, or repairs.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.