Hamilton requests Ferrari check while emerging as Mercedes' biggest threat in Austria

Hamilton finished third during the final free practice session of the Austrian Grand Prix. The Briton finished around a tenth behind George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, but on two of his attempts, he experienced issues in Turn 3.

Over the radio, the Ferrari driver said: "I locked up in Turn 3, locked the rears. We need to check the gearbox. It said it was shifting but I was still in anti-stall."

Hamilton's teammate, Charles Leclerc, also had similar issues in the same corner, where he locked up on multiple occasions as well. The Monegasque driver set only the seventh quickest time in today's first session.

On-track action will continue at 16:00 local time (15:00 GMT) with qualifying for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix.

Speaking to Sky Sports after FP3, the Mercedes CEO and team principal said: "I am enjoying the fight. He has good momentum so it would be good if we can break that."

This comes after Lewis Hamilton won his first Grand Prix with Ferrari at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP. At the time, the Austrian had already warned that Hamilton could become a threat in the world title fight.

He then explained: "I'd rather not fight with him for a title. I'm not fine with him for a title because I know what he's capable of. If he smells blood, he goes. I've seen it many years where suddenly the train, the Lewis Hamilton train, started to go and then it's very difficult to stop it.