Carlos Sainz experienced difficulties with the SF-24 during the qualifying sessions on Saturday in Speilberg.
Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz (via IMAGO)
Ferrari’s acknowledged that his team was lagging behind McLaren and Red Bull in Austria, who were dominant across the Red Bull Ring on Saturday. Sainz then went on to state that the Maranello-based team could realistically only compete with the Mercedes team in the upcoming 71-lap race.
Mercedes has shown an upward trend in their performances since a new front wing upgrade was introduced to the W15 in Monaco. However, Ferrari has coincidentally been going through a rough patch since their impressive performance in Monaco and is currently barely in the title race.
Carlos Sainz assessed that the Maranello-based team faced significant issues with maneuvering through the high-speed corners of Spielberg, for which they cannot find an immediate solution. As a result of these problems, Ferrari now starts in the fourth and sixth positions, sandwiched between Mercedes who achieved lap times as good as the third and fifth positions.
Lewis Hamilton has also had a subpar season for Mercedes, with his teammate starting on the second row in the Austrian race. But despite the past problems and issues, the race will undoubtedly be an exciting one as fans will witness the two silver arrows compete against the Reds for the top positions in Spielberg.
George Russell starts in the third position for the race in Spielberg, trailing behind Red Bull and McLaren, which has been a common occurrence for the majority of the 2024 season. Russell has therefore shared his strategy, aiming to maximize his outcome.
Russell has claimed that the key to a successful race for the Silver Arrows would be to not immediately engage in a battle with Red Bull and McLaren, but instead allow the two teams to fight it out at the start. The 26-year-old has clarified that his impatience during the opening stages was the main reason for a disappointing finish last week in Barcelona, which he hopes to avoid.
Mercedes is currently a few-tenths slower compared to McLaren and Red Bull but will have plenty of opportunities during the Austrian Grand Prix to overtake the two teams around the fast-paced Red Bull Ring. A victory for the Silver Arrows would be their first of the season and significantly enhance their chances in the 2024 title race.