Ferrari F1 Austrian Grand Prix change confirmed after baffling Lewis Hamilton claim

Ferrari

Ferrari Austrian Grand Prix change confirmed after baffling Lewis Hamilton claim

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton was unsure of how much upgrades will help

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 28 June 2025 14:27

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The FIA have confirmed changes to Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari car, after some unusual comments from the seven-time champion ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.

Ferrari are trying to find a way in which they can challenge the likes of McLaren and Mercedes more regularly across race weekends, as they look to try and seal second in the constructors' championship.

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With the driver lineup of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, they have been surprisingly uncompetitive given they finished within just 14 points of championship winners McLaren in 2024.

In an attempt to rectify this, Ferrari have brought upgrades to Spielberg, with an FIA announcement confirming that they have tweaked several parts of the floor on both Ferrari cars, as well as running a redesigned diffuser.

However, on Thursday, Hamilton played down the potential positive impact of the new updates, appearing rather baffled: "We really don't know the actual effect that it's going to have," he told media. "It's not the normal information we're getting of how much load you added to the car, that's not necessarily clear.

Hamilton later added: "Hopefully it will be a step forwards in the right direction and I think that’s the most important thing is that we are moving forwards."

Can Ferrari turn their season around?

Sat 191 points behind McLaren already in 2025 and with drivers Hamilton and Leclerc fifth and sixth in the drivers' championship, Ferrari's chances of challenging for a championship this year are all but over.

That has put added pressure on Fred Vasseur's position as team principal, particularly after he had made the decision to sign seven-time champion Hamilton in place of Carlos Sainz.

The rest of 2025 will likely be used to reinstall faith in the team that they can claim race victories, as well as trying and instil some confidence into Hamilton, after a string of disappointing performances.

Hamilton has not yet scored a grand prix podium with his new team, and has been outqualified by Leclerc on seven occasions out of 10.

The 2026 season is set to be huge for the Hamilton-Ferrari partnership, with wholesale regulation changes set to sweep into the sport during what is currently set to be Hamilton's final year of his current contract with the Maranello giants.

The FIA also confirmed that Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren have made small tweaks to their cars for the Austrian GP weekend.

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari McLaren FIA Charles Leclerc Austrian Grand Prix