Two weeks in the past, Ferrari surprised Mercedes by handing the Silver Arrows a primary grand prix defeat of the 2026 Formulation 1 season, with Lewis Hamilton’s scorching tempo within the ultimate stint suggesting the Scuderia’s improve package deal had introduced it again into rivalry.
Armed with a barely improved V6 engine, the primary product of its ADUO improve allowance, Ferrari is aiming to point out its Spanish kind wasn’t a one-off, however within the Austrian warmth it’s nonetheless left trying to find grip and tempo after a difficult day of Friday follow.
Hamilton and Leclerc ended FP2 in fifth and eighth respectively, with Hamilton over six tenths off pacesetter Kimi Antonelli, whereas there are early indications Ferrari’s long term kind additionally pegs it behind at the least Mercedes and McLaren, in that order.
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Ferrari additionally suffered a troublesome brace of Friday periods in Barcelona, however Leclerc, who ceded his automobile in FP1 to rookie Dino Beganovic, hasn’t seen the identical indications in Spielberg that his squad can compete on the entrance this time.
“I am not so assured, however by no means say by no means,” he mentioned. “Nevertheless it’s true that on the Friday in Barcelona, there have been a couple of parts that led us to suppose that there was fairly a little bit of efficiency within the automobile. In the intervening time it has been a battle, the entire FP1 that I did not do and in addition FP2 contained in the automobile. So, it has been a tough Friday for the crew.”
When requested what he was missing, Leclerc replied: “Simply general grip, we have been sliding from all 4 tyres because the first lap I’ve performed. It has been very, very difficult.
“In Barcelona it was very tough as nicely [with the tyres]. Right here you’ve got received totally different limitations, however on the finish of the day tyre administration will play as a lot of a task. When it comes to precise degradation, we aren’t in a foul place right here. The larger downside is that the tempo shouldn’t be there. So perhaps after 20 laps we’re quick, however 20 laps shouldn’t be good [enough]. We have to do some work on the automobile.”
Rookie driver Dino Beganovic accomplished FP1 in Leclerc’s automobile and posted the ninth-fastest time.
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Formulation 1 through Getty Photographs
Staff principal Fred Vasseur joked that Ferrari is “copying Barcelona” by being equally unimpressive on Friday kind, however conceded that his squad hadn’t been in a position to thrive within the sweltering circumstances because the European heatwave noticed temperatures soar above 33C, with observe temperatures clearing the 50C barrier.
“Immediately we struggled just a little bit with the circumstances, I feel a bit like Barcelona,” he mentioned. “With the altitude, with temperature, with observe temperature, air temperature. I feel that’s the identical for everyone, however we struggled so much. And we’ve got to work on ourselves, to work on the set-up, on the automobile, on the driving, on every little thing to do a greater job tomorrow.”
Vasseur says the most important distinction with Barcelona is that tyre degradation will not be as excessive this weekend. However he identified Ferrari was additionally sturdy over one lap there, which hasn’t confirmed to be the case in Spielberg.
“The degradation in Barcelona was a lot increased, and it was the primary driver for the efficiency, at the least within the race. However we have been additionally in a position to struggle for the pole place in qualifying,” he cautioned. “A minimum of by way of pure potential, we have been there. Now, thus far, we’re distant.
“Nevertheless it’s true that in Barcelona we weren’t so shiny, additionally on Friday. We’ve lots of potential to unlock tonight and we’ll see tomorrow.”
Vasseur added that the squad’s new V6 engine introduced what he “was anticipating”, which is only a modest step on horsepower.
“The lead time on the engine is big,” the Frenchman defined. “On some elements you’ve gotten months of delay. It was very dangerous for us to launch spec two of the engine very early for value cap causes. We weren’t anticipating a giant step in any respect this weekend.”
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