Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari has made significant “mega progress” after he achieved his best result of the 2025 Formula 1 season, finishing fourth at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Hamilton described Ferrari`s operations during the weekend as “world-class,” particularly highlighting their strong qualifying performance where he started fourth, matching his season`s best grid position. Despite finishing ten seconds behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, who secured his fourth podium of the season, Hamilton remained positive about his race.
Ferrari introduced a new floor upgrade for the Austrian race, aiming to move closer to the leading teams. In Sunday`s race, only McLaren proved faster than Ferrari, while Mercedes driver George Russell finished over half a minute behind Hamilton, indicating Ferrari`s relative strength at the Red Bull Ring.
“This is huge progress for our team, and we owe a big thank you to everyone at the factory for bringing the upgrade this weekend,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1. “It might have looked like a small step on paper, but it seemed to have a greater impact on our performance.”
“Being the second-fastest team this weekend, not a minute adrift of McLaren, is a positive sign. To score some really solid points, I`m definitely happy with it.”
Hamilton is feeling optimistic heading into his home race, the British Grand Prix, this coming week. He holds the record for most wins at Silverstone, with nine victories.
The seven-time world champion expressed his pride in Ferrari`s efforts at the Red Bull Ring.
“I believe everyone in the team will be happier. The people back at the factory can certainly be proud of their work,” he said. “Everyone here at the track has also been much calmer and more organized this weekend, leading to a better overall performance from the team.”
Leclerc: Ferrari Moving in the Right Direction
Ferrari has faced challenges running their car close to the ground this year due to a rear suspension issue impacting performance. Following the disqualification of both Leclerc and Hamilton at the Chinese Grand Prix, the team has focused on redesigning the car to allow a lower ride height without excessive plank wear.
Leclerc`s three podium finishes in the last four races underscore Ferrari`s recent progress, although they still trail McLaren significantly.
“We are heading in the correct direction. The upgrades we introduced this weekend helped us narrow the gap a little bit,” Leclerc commented to Sky Sports F1.
“Unfortunately, the gap is still considerable, and we must push hard to bring as many upgrades as possible, as soon as possible, to close it,” he added. “But overall, it was a positive weekend, and I`m happy we maximized our current potential. Now we need to increase that potential.”
Ferrari aims to repeat their progress from last year, where they significantly developed their car throughout the season and finished just 14 points behind champions McLaren in the Constructors` Championship.
Neither Leclerc nor Hamilton has had a realistic chance of winning a Grand Prix in 2025, something the Monegasque driver hopes will change.
“It`s really important for everyone – the people back in Maranello, at the track, and for us drivers as well – to know that we can turn the situation around and become competitive again. Winning would be fantastic,” he remarked.
“However, I think it`s very unlikely we can turn the situation around enough by the end of the season to win the Constructors` Championship, as the points difference is substantial, and I don`t see McLaren suddenly doing a poor job. We need to stay focused, work extremely hard, and learn everything we can this season.”
Marcus Prine