Leclerc back on the podium in Spielberg: "It's the best we could do"

The chasm observed in qualifying left only slim hopes for Ferrari. Despite the internal struggle between the McLaren, the Reds were never able to fight for victory in Spielberg. Overtaken by Oscar piastri from the start, Charles Leclerc then sailed into a “no man’s land”, with no direct opponent on the track.

With a smile, Leclerc acknowledged after the Grand Prix that the start was certainly his best opportunity. “I thought about attacking in the first corner but Lando closed the door, and that opened the way for Oscar, he recalled without bitterness. Whatever happens, I think they were too fast for us to be able to fight for second place. Third was the best we could do, I have no regrets."

If he tried to follow Norris and Piastri at the start of the race, the Monegasque was then slowed down by the limits of his car. “During the first stint, I think I pushed too hard at the beginning to try to keep up with them, and so I degraded further, he admitted. It's part of the game, I tried at the end but it didn't work, we need more rhythm."

Leclerc has only one podium less than Verstappen and Russell this season

There are many positives to take from this Austrian Grand Prix for Ferrari. Third and fourth, Hamilton and Leclerc demonstrated that the new parts brought by the Scuderia to Spielberg are effective. "The improvements we made this weekend have clearly helped us take a step forward, we must continue to push in this direction to reduce the gap to the McLarens.", motivated Leclerc.

Always well-positioned and opportunistic, the Monegasque has already collected his fourth podium finish this season. This total is well below expectations at the start of the year, but is significant given the performance of the SF-25. In comparison, Verstappen and Russell have only collected one more podium this season.

In the Constructors' standings, Ferrari takes the lead again Mercedes, While Red Bull did not score a single point at home. The Reds should challenge the Silver Arrows for the honorary title of runner-up. For his first race as Team Principal, while Frédéric Vasseur had to leave Spielberg for "personal reasons," Jérôme D'Ambrosio can be satisfied.

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