Beneath the sweltering sunshine that bathes the Styrian mountains surrounding the Red Bull Ring, there is at least a breeze of anticipatory air for the Austrian Grand Prix. After the opening to a Formula One season defined by Mercedes dominance, that Ferrari may now be applying their own heat is welcome, more so given it is Lewis Hamilton firing it up.
Hamilton's victory at the last round in Barcelona, his first for Ferrari and the Scuderia's first since 2024, was greeted by driver and team with understandable exultation; the seven-time champion has gone from his worst season last year to a potential championship contender.
Ferrari's Upgrades and Engine Advancements
In Barcelona, Ferrari brought eight aerodynamic upgrades to their car, their biggest developments, and they proved enormously effective. The circuit, strategy, heat, and a safety car all played a part, but the striking fact was that the Ferrari was all but on a par with the Mercedes, whose Kimi Antonelli currently leads the championship from Hamilton by 41 points.
Ferrari's SF26, in its upgraded configuration, demonstrated it was a serious package, hugely impressive through the corners and crucially now also less punishing on the tyres as a result of new wheel rims. As the defending world champion, McLaren's Lando Norris, noted, "if they had a better engine they're dominating." In Austria they should boast a better engine.
With the new engines employed this season, the FIA and F1 agreed to the "Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities" rule (Aduo). It is arcane but vital. An assessment was made in the opening races, and a sliding scale of upgrades permitted according to how far each manufacturer fell from the benchmark engine. The Red Bull engine was assessed as top-performing, a decision still questioned by Red Bull given Mercedes' superiority, but the measurement considers only the internal combustion engine output, not the electrical element.
Ferrari were considered more than 4% off the Red Bull benchmark, entitling them to two engine upgrades this season, with Mercedes between 2% and 4%, giving them one. Eyebrows have been raised as to why Ferrari were ready with an engine upgrade so soon after the assessment was announced on race day in Monaco, implying they were gaming the system.
Impact of the Red Bull Ring Circuit
It is understood Ferrari's first engine upgrade is to be combined with a new fuel formula from Shell, an element previously posited by senior F1 players as a potential differentiator under the new regulations. In Austria, Ferrari engine technical director Enrico Gualtieri played down the expected engine impact, saying it was not a big step, with the more significant engine advance expected after the summer break.
Yet he knows, as does Hamilton, that how the Ferrari handles the Red Bull Ring is key. With three long straights and a sequence of medium and high-speed corners, in temperatures around 34°C, with thin mountainous air testing the engine and its smaller turbo, if they come out on top here it is very much game on.
Hamilton was upbeat after his win in Barcelona, hopeful of more, but in Austria his teammate Charles Leclerc, who has had poor luck in the last two races, was equally bullish. "The team is in a very good place," he said. "To see so much innovation on our car and to see the people back at the factory push so much production-wise, to keep bringing new upgrades, that is a good sign – it's really nice to also see that it's paying off on track with the performance and us getting closer to Mercedes."
Season Balance and Practice Sessions
The season hangs in an intriguing balance that may take many races to play out as the advantage swings. McLaren had it with their upgrade and double podium in Miami, Mercedes were on top in Canada, and Ferrari in Barcelona. There is a development war, and for all that Mercedes have commanded thus far, Hamilton and Ferrari are on the march.
In first practice, Mercedes led the way at the Red Bull Ring, with Antonelli just ahead of teammate George Russell. Max Verstappen was fourth with Red Bull hopeful of a major step forward from a comprehensive upgrade package. Hamilton was fifth, with Leclerc sitting out to allow rookie Dino Beganovic to drive; he finished ninth. In the second session, Antonelli was once more on top from the two McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Norris. Verstappen was fourth, with Hamilton fifth.
