Lewis Hamilton has publicly called on Ferrari to provide a power unit upgrade following a deeply frustrating Austrian Grand Prix weekend in Spielberg.
The seven-time world champion had entered the weekend with genuine momentum, having taken victory at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix just two weeks prior.
That Barcelona win had put Hamilton firmly in the hunt for a record eighth world championship, and an ADUO-inspired power unit upgrade was expected to strengthen Ferrari’s position further.
McLaren’s Lando Norris had even declared before the Austrian race that a better power unit would see Ferrari “embarrass” their rivals, praising the SF-26 chassis as the “class of the field.”
Despite those encouraging words, the anticipated upgrade failed to deliver immediate performance gains at the Red Bull Ring, leaving Ferrari in a difficult position throughout the race weekend.
Hamilton had qualified in third place, with teammate Charles Leclerc directly ahead in second, suggesting the car had genuine one-lap pace heading into Sunday’s race.
However, both drivers struggled enormously with tyre degradation during the grand prix itself, eventually finishing fifth and eighth respectively, with Hamilton the higher of the two.
The result pushed Hamilton further back in the championship standings, now 46 points adrift of leader Kimi Antonelli and dropping to third behind George Russell as well.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race, Hamilton said: “The cars didn’t agree with any of the tyres today. It was a very, very hard race, a really tough race. Being extremely hot.”
He went on to describe his troubled race in detail, adding: “My start wasn’t very good, a poor getaway. I was on the attack and it wasn’t looking too bad the first few laps, then my rear just dropped off.”
Hamilton acknowledged the team’s efforts despite the disappointing outcome, saying: “Grip-wise, we just couldn’t keep up with everyone. But I am grateful for the points. The team did a great job with strategy and pitstops.”
Looking beyond Austria, Hamilton made his desire for further development absolutely clear, stating: “We are going to have to push very hard to see when we can get the next power upgrade. That won’t come for a while.”
The British driver is nonetheless hopeful that circumstances will improve in the near term, concluding: “Hopefully the car will be in a better place at Silverstone.”
With the British Grand Prix at Silverstone fast approaching, Hamilton will be desperate to arrest the championship slide on home soil and cut into Antonelli’s growing lead.