Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are cautiously optimistic about their new Ferrari car floor’s impact on their competitiveness following a low-key Friday at Formula 1’s Austrian Grand Prix, with Leclerc sitting out FP1 for rookie Dino Beganovic, and Hamilton facing early gearbox issues affecting his long runs.
Ferrari introduced a fully revamped floor at the Red Bull Ring, aiming for additional aerodynamic load throughout different cornering speeds for a net performance boost.
Despite Leclerc showing strength over long runs, the performance gain on one lap seems minimal, with both drivers – Leclerc and Hamilton – facing deficits in various sections of the track compared to the leaders.
While Leclerc acknowledged the expected aero numbers from the new floor, he found it challenging to feel the difference, emphasizing the fine margins in performance gains.
Hamilton lauded the team’s efforts in resolving the gearbox issues and preparing for FP2 but noted that Friday’s running wasn’t spectacular for Ferrari, with both drivers trailing the frontrunners by considerable margins.
