Leclerc pins hopes on Hamilton synergy to derail Mercedes in Austria

The Monegasque, who finally put an end to his recent qualifying struggles over the last two weekends, had briefly set the fastest time of the session after Max Verstappen’s crash brought out the yellow flags. However, his benchmark was ultimately beaten by George Russell, who went on to secure pole position.

Russell’s late surge also pushed Hamilton down the order, with the Brit set to start from P3. Ahead of the race, Leclerc is now relying on an effective team strategy to try and get the better of Mercedes.

Looking ahead to race day, Leclerc highlighted tyre management as a key factor, particularly given the high temperatures, while expressing optimism about starting on the front row and potentially replicating Hamilton’s Barcelona victory.

“Yes, it’s going to be a tight race and a hot race most of all. I think tyre management will be a big thing today, but I’m happy to be starting on the front row and hopefully we can reproduce what Lewis did two weeks ago,” Leclerc said during the Austrian Grand Prix drivers’ parade.

Asked whether Hamilton’s presence could aid Ferrari strategically, Leclerc added: “Yeah, I mean, it’s good to have the two cars in front, but at the same time there are also the two Mercedes in front and behind the two McLarens, I think, so it’s going to be quite tight today.”

Earlier, Hamilton had pointed to Ferrari’s numerical advantage as their best chance of beating Mercedes in Austria.

After a weekend in which Ferrari initially looked off the pace for pole position, both drivers delivered a late turnaround in qualifying. Leclerc had appeared set to take pole, only for Russell to snatch it away with his final flying lap, despite lifting after yellow flags triggered by Verstappen’s crash.

Reflecting on his own lap and whether pole had been within reach, Hamilton admitted he was unsure Ferrari had the outright pace to match Mercedes, acknowledging Russell’s strong form throughout the weekend. Nevertheless, the seven-time world champion described it as a solid result for Ferrari to have both cars at the sharp end of the grid, calling it a reward for the team’s hard work back at the factory.