Lewis Hamilton was pleased to find “positives” in his qualifying performance for Formula 1‘s Austrian Grand Prix, and said he was “as fast” as team-mate Charles Leclerc across the session.
The seven-time World Champion was able to extract some improved performance from his Ferrari SF-25 at the Red Bull Ring, amid the Scuderia’s implementation of a number of upgrades to its floor.
Hamilton and Leclerc showed a positive trajectory for the team, with the Monegasque taking second place on the grid behind pole-sitter Lando Norris, with Hamilton fourth, occupying the second row with Oscar Piastri.
Speaking after qualifying, Hamilton showed happiness in being able to find a set-up that he found a great deal of improvement in, compared to his team-mate.
“Setup wise, I’m finally getting much closer to where Charles has the car, for example, which I’ve not been able to do all year,” he said.
“Ultimately I was as fast as him. This is as close as I’ve been because he’s very quick at qualifying and, again, he’s just so used to this car.
“He hardly ever changes anything, so that’s a positive. So, incremental steps. I do anticipate to continue on this road and eventually switch it.”
Hamilton rues ‘massive snap’ in final lap that cost him higher place
Despite feeling he was as fast as Leclerc, Hamilton’s quickest lap was nine hundredths of a second off the Monegasque.
He put this down to a moment midway through the lap, that ultimately cost him a place alongside Norris at the front.
However, it didn’t seem to dampen Hamilton’s pleasure in his performance, who will be hopeful that the car can show some decent race pace with a potential podium on the cards.
“I had more time in the lap,” he said. “I was nearly three tenths up going into Turn 6, and I had a massive snap going in.
“And then I came across the line, point zero six up, so that would have put me second. So there are positives in it, for sure.”
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