Lewis Hamilton admits that Ferrari’s new upgrade package for the Austrian Grand Prix “changed the competitiveness” after being tricky on Friday.
Hamilton finished second practice with Randnoris’ 10th fastest in top time, 0.931 seconds.
The Ferrari upgrade was a big topic going to this doubleheader in Austria and England.
Ferrari season is hampered by rear suspension issues, preventing the car from running its optimally.
This also means that the floor will suffer serious wear during the race, so both drivers usually need to manage their pace.
Ferrari has a modified floor this weekend with the Red Bull Ring.
However, it appears to have little effect on the overall pace of Ferrari.
After Friday’s practice in Austria, Hamilton said:
“Cars don’t make you feel bad, but we’re a wise big chunk of pace. We need to look into it. We just keep pushing and trying more cars and see what we get.
A gearbox issue compromised Hamilton’s FP1 running.
The 40-year-old was pleased with Ferrari’s recovery, but he ruled out the challenge on the front line in qualifying.
“It’s not spectacular. We had issues with the gearbox in the morning. The gearbox was frustrating for everyone in the garage because the boys did a great job,” Hamilton added.
“They kept refilling it, but we only managed to do one lap so I think we’ll be fine with that. They did an amazing job of changing the gearbox and getting P2 ready.
“Charles was a sixth. I was close to a second. It wasn’t ideal, but I think there’s a lot of learning. I’ll make some changes.
Leclerc: No performance at all
When Ferrari Junior Dino began, Charles Leclerc came out of FP1.
Leclerc felt he didn’t have much time to speed up after missing out on his first practice.
But like Hamilton, he wasn’t very free about Ferrari’s performance.
“Not so. FP1 didn’t actually compromise on FP2,” explained Leclerc. “I was immediately relieved by the truck, but it wasn’t as easy as the car and how it felt.
“There’s a lot of work to do for tomorrow. I don’t feel like there’s a lot of performance yet, but I hope that tomorrow will bring everything together and take a step forward. There’s a lot of work tonight.”