Following a standout qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring, Lewis Hamilton couldn’t resist aiming a playful jab at Max Verstappen as he looks to secure his first podium with Ferrari.
Hamilton managed to clinch fourth on the grid for the Austrian Grand Prix, part of a strong outing for Ferrari that saw him and Charles Leclerc split McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Leclerc will start alongside Lando Norris on the front row.
Recent updates to the floor of Ferrari’s SF-25 seem to have given the team a significant boost. After struggling earlier in the season, Hamilton appeared more upbeat and optimistic about the potential to finish in the top three.
When asked if a podium was realistic as long as he avoided incidents during the race, Hamilton cheekily replied with a nod to his old rival.
“I mean, Max isn’t up there,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week, before adding with a grin: “I won’t be bumping into anybody, that’s for sure.”
This marked Hamilton’s best qualifying result of the year and a potential turning point in what has been a challenging debut season with Ferrari. Aside from a Sprint win in China, he has yet to record a major result with the Scuderia, adjusting after over a decade with Mercedes.
Hamilton remarked that he felt “as fast” as Leclerc during qualifying but was held back by a “snap” on his final lap, which cost him a better position. Still, with the car now feeling more suited to his style, he sees this weekend as a real opportunity.
Reflecting on how long it took to end his win drought last year, Hamilton said:
“It feels like that 900-odd days thing with the win. Hopefully it won’t take 900 days.”
“The last few races I’ve said, ‘Yeah, I can’t wait to get that podium’. So I’m not going to say it. I’m just going to put myself towards action, rather than words.”
