Hamilton warns Verstappen after Austria clash as Ferrari star admits Red Bull has made huge leap – Lewis Hamilton believes Max Verstappen should not have expected to complete an overtake around the outside during their Austrian Grand Prix battle, while also admitting Ferrari received a reality check after Red Bull’s latest upgrade package.
The seven-time world champion acknowledged that Ferrari remains behind both Red Bull and Mercedes on outright pace despite his recent victory in Spain.
Barcelona victory raised Ferrari expectations
Hamilton arrived in Austria full of confidence after claiming Ferrari’s first Grand Prix victory of the season in Barcelona. The result also moved him into second place in the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship and prompted Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff to describe the Briton as a genuine title contender.
However, Ferrari’s performance at the Red Bull Ring painted a very different picture.
Hamilton finished fifth, the highest-placed Ferrari driver, but admitted the result better reflected the team’s current level.
“This was a reality check,” Hamilton told the media in Austria, including TJ13.
The British driver also admitted Ferrari is still searching for answers after its unexpected pace in Spain.
“We don’t really know why we were so fast on Sunday in Barcelona. It’s a circuit that has always suited me and I chose a strategy I knew would work. With the tyre degradation we had, it was similar to 2020 and 2021.”
In 2021, Hamilton beat Verstappen in a similar fashion. Hamilton was also on a three-stop strategy at the time and overtook Verstappen, who was on a two-stop strategy, in the closing stages of the race.
Ferrari’s true position for performance
Hamilton believes Austria exposed Ferrari’s true position in the competitive order.
“Today was closer to reality. We still have a good car, but we’re slower than Mercedes. In terms of outright speed, they’re simply faster.”
Despite the disappointing result, Hamilton remains confident Ferrari can continue reducing the gap.
“One victory doesn’t mean we’re going to beat them consistently. It’s actually the opposite. We still have a lot of work to do and we need to keep improving the car, especially in terms of power.”
Hamilton not expecting Silverstone repeat
Formula 1 now heads to Silverstone, one of Hamilton’s strongest circuits, but the Ferrari driver is not expecting another victory similar to Barcelona.
He pointed to Silverstone’s long straights as a potential weakness for Ferrari.
“There are a lot of straights at Silverstone. You demand a lot from the battery and there aren’t many opportunities to recharge it. Maybe our disadvantage is a little smaller there, but it’s difficult to say.”
Ferrari will also race at another Hamilton favourite, the Hungaroring, later this month, although the 41-year-old remains realistic about the team’s current limitations.
Hamilton impressed by Red Bull’s massive upgrade
While Ferrari struggled, Hamilton admitted Red Bull has taken a significant step forward.
Max Verstappen performed well compared to the pace setting Mercedes at the Austrian Grand Prix weekend and Hamilton believes the RB22 could become the benchmark once again following its latest development package.
“Max was very quick. They’ve made a huge step this weekend.”
Hamilton estimated Red Bull’s weight saving upgrade alone was worth between three and four tenths of a second.
“I think they brought an upgrade worth three or four tenths. They also gained around three tenths simply by taking weight off the car.”
Hamilton said the combination of weight reduction and aerodynamic improvements has transformed Red Bull’s competitiveness.
“That’s enormous when you consider how competitive they already were in races like Monaco with an overweight car. It shows they have a very good car. They’ve now removed that excess weight and added upgrades as well. We really have to take them seriously over the coming races.”
Red Bull previously indicated to TJ13 that the team’s latest upgrade package was expected to deliver a substantial performance gain, reinforcing Helmut Marko’s confidence that the RB22 could recover significant lap time before the second half of the season.
Hamilton warns Verstappen over complaint
In the printed media, a British journalist pointed out that Verstappen was ‘whingeing’ over the onboard radio that Hamilton had pushed him off the track at Turn 6
Hamilton also responded after Verstappen complained over team radio during their wheel-to-wheel battle through Turn 6 in Austria. The Ferrari driver insisted the Red Bull star should never have expected an overtake around the outside.
“Well, he went off the outside of the circuit. You can’t expect to overtake a champion around the outside.”
Hamilton explained why he believed he was fully entitled to hold his racing line.
“I wouldn’t expect to overtake him around the outside either. He was behind me at the apex, so he should have backed out. He didn’t.”
Under the FIA’s racing guidelines, Hamilton was not required to leave Verstappen additional room on the exit of Turn 6 because he had established the corner under the regulations.
Hamilton’s comments underline just how quickly Formula 1’s competitive picture has changed. Ferrari’s breakthrough victory in Spain briefly suggested the Scuderia had rejoined the championship fight, but Austria indicated Red Bull has regained a clear performance advantage. With Silverstone next on the calendar, Ferrari faces an increasingly difficult task if it is to prevent Verstappen and Red Bull from extending their momentum.
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Craig Alderson is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Craig oversees newsroom operations and coordinates editorial output across the site. With a background in online sports reporting and motorsport magazine editing, he plays a key role in maintaining consistency, speed, and accuracy in TJ13’s coverage.
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