Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were left perplexed by Ferrari's sudden drop in race pace and crippling rear tire degradation at the Austrian Grand Prix. Both drivers started strong – Hamilton third, Leclerc second – but quickly fell out of podium contention. Hamilton switched to a three-stop strategy, reporting that "the rears just dropped off on every set," making the balance difficult to manage. Leclerc, who qualified well, fared even worse, tumbling to eighth, complaining of "very, very low grip overall" and a lack of rear stability. Team Principal Fred Vasseur admitted the drivers paid a price for over-pushing early to keep pace with faster cars, leading to strategic compromises. He also noted power unit overheating while the cars were stuck in traffic. Ferrari's inability to translate qualifying pace into race performance, particularly with tire management, remains a significant hurdle as the season progresses. Leclerc's consistent struggle to understand the car's race characteristics is especially concerning for the Scuderia.
Read the full story at Motorsport.comLEWIS HAMILTON, CHARLES LECLERC CONFUSED BY WOEFUL FERRARI RACE PACE IN AUSTRIA
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were left perplexed by Ferrari's sudden drop in race pace and crippling rear tire degradation at the Austrian Grand Prix. Both drivers started strong – Hamilton third, Leclerc second – but quickly fell out of podium contention. Hamilton switched to a three-stop strategy, reporting that "the rears just dropped off on every set," making the balance difficult to manage. Leclerc, who qualified well, fared even worse, tumbling to eighth, complaining of "very, very low grip overall" and a lack of rear stability. Team Principal Fred Vasseur admitted the drivers paid a price for over-pushing early to keep pace with faster cars, leading to strategic compromises. He also noted power unit overheating while the cars were stuck in traffic. Ferrari's inability to translate qualifying pace into race performance, particularly with tire management, remains a significant hurdle as the season progresses. Leclerc's consistent struggle to understand the car's race characteristics is especially concerning for the Scuderia.
