Hamilton Praises Ferrari’s ‘Fantastic Result’ in Austrian GP Qualifying

Hamilton Praises Ferrari’s ‘Fantastic Result’ in Austrian GP Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton has hailed Ferrari’s performance in the Austrian Grand Prix qualifying session as a “fantastic result”, after teammate Charles Leclerc secured second on the grid and Hamilton himself qualified fourth at the Red Bull Ring.

The result matches Ferrari’s best qualifying performance of the 2025 season — previously achieved in Monaco — and comes after the team introduced a new floor upgrade, their first major development since the Bahrain Grand Prix in April.

“The team have worked hard back in the factory to bring us a new floor this weekend,” said Hamilton. “For us to be much closer and be on the second row, and for Charles who is on the front row, I think that’s really fantastic.”

Hamilton Reflects on Missed Opportunity for P2

The seven-time world champion narrowly missed out on a front-row start, finishing just 0.09 seconds behind Leclerc. He acknowledged that a slightly cleaner final lap could have put him in second.

“My last lap wasn’t perfect,” Hamilton admitted. “I think that could have been, if I had finished that, would have been second.”

He praised the team’s execution throughout the qualifying session:

“It has been the best day, operationally, particularly through qualifying — the timings, the information we are getting in terms of traffic and positionings on track. It was proper world class. That is what we are working towards.”

Ferrari’s Resurgence Amid Criticism

Ferrari’s upturn comes after weeks of intense media scrutiny in Italy, with questions raised about team principal Frederic Vasseur’s leadership. Hamilton, who is set to join Ferrari in 2026, offered a clear message of solidarity.

“We continue to work together, protect each other, block out all the noise and just keep our heads down.

It’s an incredible team. I’m working with Fred to put all the pieces of the puzzle in the right place — step by step.”

Leclerc Pleased But Cautious Over Upgrade

Leclerc, who will start Sunday’s race from P2, expressed cautious optimism about the new floor’s effect.

“Very happy to be second. It’s been a very difficult season for us qualifying-wise,” he said. “Apart from Monaco, we’ve always been fighting for P5 or P6. So, it’s good to be up there with the fast guys.”

“It definitely helped us. I felt like there were some steps forward. However, we need to see it over multiple tracks to understand the full impact.”

Ferrari heads into Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix with renewed momentum and a chance to challenge Red Bull and McLaren at the front — a scenario that looked unlikely just weeks ago.