Lewis Hamilton said his Ferrari struggled with both power deficit and tyre performance after he finished a hard-fought fifth at the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, having started the race from third on the grid.

The seven-time world champion, who secured his first win for Ferrari two weeks earlier in Spain, dropped from second to third in the drivers’ standings. He was overtaken in the championship by Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, who finished third in the race, while race victory went to George Russell.

Hamilton described the race as extremely challenging due to the heat and tyre behaviour, admitting he struggled to find consistency throughout the stint. He also pointed to a poor start and early loss of positions as key setbacks.

He explained that while he initially felt competitive and even fought for second behind Russell, his rear tyres quickly degraded, leaving him unable to maintain pace. Hamilton added that the balance of the car felt inconsistent across multiple tyre sets.

Looking back at Friday’s running, he noted a significant straight-line speed deficit and stressed that Ferrari will need to push hard to introduce further performance upgrades in the near future.

He also acknowledged communication frustrations with tyre behaviour during the race, saying the car’s handling became increasingly difficult as the stint progressed.

Lewis Hamilton finished a battling fifth at the Austrian Grand Prix, with his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc coming home in eighth place.

Hamilton also had an early on-track duel with four-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing, who went on to finish second behind race winner George Russell.

Looking ahead to next weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone — a circuit where he has won a record nine times — Hamilton said he is eager to return home but is aware the track’s layout may not suit his car.

“I love Silverstone,” he said. “But there are a lot of straights, unfortunately. Hopefully, the car will be in a nicer place there.”