A good result but brake problems for Lewis Hamilton in Austria
The Briton finished in fourth place on the Spielberg circuit, also his best result of the season on Sunday. However, the seven-time world champion admitted that his race was far from easy, particularly due to brake issues.
A successful Grand Prix for Ferrari. Lagging behind Mercedes and Red Bull in Canada, the Italian team established itself as the second force on the grid this weekend in Austria. Finishing third and fourth, the two drivers helped Ferrari reclaim second place in the constructors’ standings. However, the race was far from smooth sailing, especially for Lewis Hamilton, who revealed he had to manage brake issues for most of the race.
From the start, he showed aggression to reclaim the fourth place he lost at the beginning to his former teammate George Russell. The seven-time world champion also reflected on this intense but fair battle. “Great start, and a nice fight with George from turn 1 to turn 6, I managed to stay on the outside, it was awesome,” he explained to the media.
Unpredictable brakes according to Hamilton
Despite this good start and a solid beginning to the race, the Briton then struggled with his car and finished nine seconds behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, who climbed onto the podium for the third time in the last four races.
After the race, he revealed that he had to adapt his driving due to brake issues that affected the car’s behavior. The car didn’t behave too badly. I managed for a while, but then I really struggled with the balance. We have brake problems. We had to manage the brakes very early on, which clearly cost me time. It’s something I’m pushing to fix because it’s not good. Then, it was the balance. I really struggled with the balance.
Ferrari, second force in Austria
The former Mercedes driver is nevertheless pleased with the progress made by Ferrari this weekend. The Italian team arrived in Austria with an update to the floor, with a revision of the deflectors, edges, and side structures. An improvement supposed to offer a global load gain across the entire operating range of the car, rather than a gain in lap time. An improvement praised by Hamilton.
« The update was quite light, so we weren’t really sure… They didn’t even mention any time gain, it was that insignificant. Maybe raising this floor had a more global effect, and that’s really positive; it’s great to see the team bringing improvements and moving forward. Being the second-best team this weekend and finishing fourth is very positive. »
An adaptation at Ferrari that takes time
The former McLaren driver also revealed that he was inspired by his teammate’s settings this weekend in Austria. The Monegasque appears to be better at driving and setting up this single-seater than the British driver. He drives a car with a lot of oversteer, Hamilton explained. Somehow, he slides the rear without degradation. When I slide the rear, I get huge degradation.
« I suppose it took Carlos [Sainz] a few years to adapt. I don’t want that! But I think I’m making progress… I was much closer in qualifying, but I didn’t have the race pace. » Nevertheless, the Briton finishes in an encouraging fourth place and thus earns 12 additional points, bringing his total to 91 points. While McLaren extends its lead at the top of the constructors’ championship (207 points ahead of the second team), it is now Ferrari that finds itself behind them.
The Italian team will have to confirm their return to form this week at Silverstone, the home Grand Prix for Lewis Hamilton and where he is the most recent winner.
