With ups and downs and crucial thousandths of a second, Ferrari gets ready for Austria with Leclerc, Hamilton, and young Beganovic. Vasseur: “Determined to do our best.”
Ferrari is getting ready to return to the track for the first European round in Austria. Alongside Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, the first free practice session will feature Ferrari Driver Academy’s young prodigy Dino Beganovic, who will take Leclerc’s place as part of the sessions allocated to drivers with fewer than two race starts—his second appearance this year after the Bahrain Grand Prix.
With its short length (just over 4 kilometers) and a lap time of just over a minute, featuring elevation changes and three DRS zones that allow for plenty of on-track action, the Spielberg circuit is a favorite among drivers. Leclerc and Hamilton will be aiming for a podium finish—something the Monegasque hasn’t achieved in Austria since 2023 and the Briton since 2022. The last Ferrari driver to reach the podium here was Carlos Sainz, who finished third last year.
On the eve of the weekend—which, unlike last year, will not feature the sprint format—Team Principal Fred Vasseur spoke about the work done by the team and the confidence in their preparation ahead of what promises to be a challenging race, without making any predictions.
“The Spielberg circuit is completed in just over a minute, which means the gaps are very small and even a few thousandths can make a big difference. Putting all the elements together will be crucial. The fact that seven of the ten corners are right-handers, combined with the significant elevation changes, makes the challenge even tougher.” .
“We’ve worked hard in Maranello with the goal of combining all the key factors to deliver the best possible performance. Charles, Lewis, and the entire team are determined to give their all on a track that often produces one of the most spectacular races of the season.”
Precisely because of the extremely tight gaps, Ferrari has worked hard to bring forward the debut of its new floor from Silverstone to Spielberg. This important upgrade package won’t work miracles, but it’s intended to give the team just enough of an edge to gain a few positions—particularly in qualifying, which has been the Scuderia’s Achilles’ heel for over a year now.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari Multimedia
