Despite some improvements compared to the previous race in Spain, where Ferrari was unable to fully exploit their latest upgrade package, they once again found themselves behind Mercedes in the Formula 1 weekend in Spielberg.
Carlos Sainz had a better performance than his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, although not exceptionally. Leclerc faced issues with his car, including an anti-stall problem during the Sprint qualifying and a crash in Q3 during the qualifying session for the grand prix.
While Sainz battled with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes just behind the top three positions, Leclerc had his front wing damaged due to an incident on the first lap. This led to an early pit stop and a disappointing 11th place, far from the points.
Sainz’s efforts did not go unnoticed, as he benefited from a collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, who were fighting for the lead. This allowed George Russell to take the lead, while Sainz couldn’t hold off Piastri and finished in third place.
Reflecting on the race, Sainz expressed his satisfaction with the podium and acknowledged the challenges they faced throughout the weekend. He emphasized the need for Ferrari to focus on improvements and strive to compete at the front of the grid.
Leclerc, on the other hand, had a disappointing weekend and described it as one to forget. He highlighted the impact of the first lap collision, which severely affected his race. Despite the setback, he recognized the importance of the team gathering valuable data from different setup configurations.
With only two points earned in Austria, Leclerc is now six points behind Norris in the 2024 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship. Ferrari remains in second place in the Constructors’ Championship, 64 points behind Red Bull Racing.
