Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari driver lauds ‘world-class’ Austrian GP qualifying execution after finest 2025 grid positions | F1 Information
Lewis Hamilton hailed Ferrari’s “world-class” execution of Austrian Grand Prix qualifying as they achieved the perfect grid positions of their disappointing season to date.
Charles Leclerc unexpectedly break up the dominant McLarens to take second on the grid and equal Ferrari’s finest Grand Prix qualifying results of the season, whereas Hamilton made it onto the second row in fourth for the primary time on the Scuderia.
Ferrari have launched a brand new ground onto their underperforming SF-25 automotive for this weekend and Hamilton, who certified inside a tenth of a second of each Leclerc and third-placed Oscar Piastri, advised Sky Sports activities F1: “It is a unbelievable outcome. The crew have labored actually laborious again on the manufacturing unit to carry us a brand new ground this weekend.
“Contemplating yesterday we have been lots additional off, for us to be a lot nearer and on the second row is basically unbelievable. And for Charles on the entrance row too.
“My final lap wasn’t excellent. I believe if I might completed it, I’d have been second, so there are many positives to take out from that session.
“Additionally, I believe it has been the perfect day operationally, significantly via qualifying. Simply timings, the knowledge we’re getting by way of visitors and positioning on observe, I believe was actually the perfect and correct world-class, so that is what we have been working in direction of.”
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Highlights from qualifying on the Austrian Grand Prix
Ferrari – and crew principal Frederic Vasseur specifically – have are available in for strain within the Italian media in latest weeks, approaching the midway mark of a season through which the Scuderia’s pre-season title ambitions have emphatically fallen flat.
On condition that exterior strain on F1’s largest and most-famous crew, Hamilton mentioned: “Finally we proceed to tug collectively and shield one another and block out all of the noise, and simply hold our heads down.
“It is an unbelievable crew. I am working with Fred, we’re working to place all of the items of the puzzle in the correct place, however step-by-step. It could actually’t be performed in a single go.
“We have simply bought to maintain engaged on it, however I am actually pleased with the progress we’re making.”
‘I am simply going to remain quiet’ – Can Hamilton lastly finish podium wait?
Though he received the Dash race on his second look for Ferrari at March’s Chinese language GP, after which took third on the season’s second short-form Saturday race in Miami in Could, Hamilton’s final official podium end in F1 got here final November when nonetheless a Mercedes driver on the Las Vegas GP.
The seven-time world champion is on a run of 12 races and not using a top-three end, only one fewer than the worst sequence of his illustrious 18-year F1 profession.
“Each race, I have been saying I can not wait to get that first podium, so I am not going to say that at this time!” mentioned Hamilton.
“I am simply going to remain quiet and attempt to do a greater job tomorrow.”
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Max Verstappen was left annoyed after solely qualifying seventh for Sunday’s race, whereas Anthony Davidson was on the SkyPad to see whether or not a yellow flag ruined his hopes of getting pole place
Leclerc to make ‘McLaren’s life as robust as doable’
Ferrari’s trigger was definitely helped by the truth that each Piastri and Verstappen have been scuppered on their respective ultimate laps of qualifying by yellow flags on the ultimate nook when Alpine’s Pierre Gasly spun. Leclerc’s hole to polesitter Lando Norris was additionally simply over half a second.
Nonetheless, outperforming Canadian GP victors Mercedes and difficult Pink Bull’s Verstappen to be McLaren’s closest challengers all weekend, Leclerc took the clear positives from the upgraded automotive’s efficiency.
“The upgrades undoubtedly helped us,” he mentioned. “How a lot? It is troublesome to know, particularly if you see how superb the margins are – aside from Lando – but it surely undoubtedly helped us to get the entrance row, so for that we must be pleased with the work performed.
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George Russell nearly brought on an accident within the pit lane throughout qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix after being launched into the trail of the Ferraris
“Aside from that, I believe we did an excellent job. We labored very nicely this weekend and I am trying ahead to tomorrow as a result of more often than not our race automotive is healthier than our qualifying automotive.
Requested if he may problem for the victory, Leclerc replied: “I’ll give all of it. We are going to see, I haven’t got the solutions for now.
“The hole could be very large at this time however tomorrow with tyre administration, I believe that we have now a superb automotive on that. Whether or not it is going to be pretty much as good as McLaren, I do not know, however I’ll do completely all the pieces to make McLaren’s life as robust as doable.”
Sky Sports activities F1’s Austrian GP schedule
Sunday June 29
7.25am: F3 Characteristic Race
8.55am: F2 Characteristic Race
10.40am: Porsche Supercup
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Austrian GP build-up*
2pm: THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Austrian GP response*
5pm: Ted’s Pocket book
*additionally on Sky Sports activities Principal Occasion
Subsequent up for the 2025 Components 1 season is a return to Europe for the Austrian Grand Prix, which is dwell on Sky Sports activities F1 this weekend. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime.