Hamilton delivers early verdict after 'challenging' Austrian GP Friday

The Briton finished both FP1 and FP2 in fifth place, ending more than half a second adrift of pace-setter Kimi Antonelli on each occasion. The Italian, meanwhile, appeared to have bounced back in emphatic fashion from the disappointment of his late retirement at the Spanish Grand Prix by topping both practice sessions at the Red Bull Ring.

Speaking after Friday's running, Hamilton described it as a solid but challenging start to the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, admitting that the hot conditions made an already demanding circuit even tougher. While encouraged by the car's initial feeling, the Ferrari driver explained that even small balance issues were proving extremely costly around the Red Bull Ring, leaving the team with work to do overnight to improve the setup and unlock more performance ahead of qualifying.

Ferrari headed to Austria with a more modest upgrade package than Red Bull, which introduced seven separate developments for the weekend. The Scuderia's main aerodynamic change is a refined version of the front wing first seen in Barcelona, featuring revised endplates, a new diveplane and updated footplate vanes, while the team has also introduced its first upgraded power unit of the season, expected to provide a small boost in performance.

Despite an underwhelming Friday at the Red Bull Ring, Ferrari can take encouragement from the previous race weekend in Spain. The SF-26 also lacked outright pace during practices in Barcelona before making a significant step forward on Saturday and especially on Sunday, where Hamilton secured his maiden victory for Ferrari.