Ferrari’s latest floor upgrade has caught the eye of their F1 competitors at the Austrian Grand Prix. The Italian team introduced a significant floor update at the Red Bull Ring in an effort to turn around their disappointing start to the 2025 season.
With the revamped floors, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton achieved Ferrari’s best qualifying positions of the year, finishing second and fourth respectively. Leclerc was just half a second behind pole-sitter Lando Norris, and the upgrade has notably grabbed McLaren’s attention.
“Ferrari was very close, even until the final run of Q3,” McLaren team principal Andrea Stella told the media, including crush.net in Spielberg. “We’re talking about a team with two very fast drivers, and looking at the new parts submitted for this event, Ferrari has introduced a completely new floor design. This includes the sides of the floor, diffuser, fence below—it’s a whole new floor. It shows they’re pushing hard with development, so it’s no surprise their performance has improved.”
Leclerc welcomed the updates, which helped secure a front-row spot on the Austrian grid. “The upgrade definitely helped us today, though it’s tough to quantify exactly how much,” he said. “It was key to getting us to the front row, especially given the size of the gap. We should be proud of the work done. We’ve had a strong weekend overall, and since our race pace usually surpasses qualifying, we’re excited about tomorrow.”
Asked whether Ferrari can beat McLaren, Stella remained cautious, emphasizing the challenge posed by the improvements. “We know a strong car counts especially in longer stints and when strategy choices between one and two stops are uncertain. Ferrari might be capable of a one-stop race, but it’s unclear yet what the best strategy is. They’re definitely in the mix. I wouldn’t discount Verstappen either. Mercedes may struggle a bit, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens in the race.”
Leclerc is unsure if the qualifying boost will translate into race success but pledged to make McLaren’s race difficult. “We’ll see; I don’t have the answer yet,” he said on Ferrari’s race prospects. “Today’s gap is quite large, but tomorrow is about tire management, and I think we have a strong car. Whether we’re as good as McLaren, I can’t say, but I’ll do everything possible to challenge them.”
Fan Take: This development signals a thrilling shake-up in the 2025 F1 season, as Ferrari’s bold upgrades could reignite their championship fight. For racing fans, the battle between Ferrari and McLaren at the Austrian GP promises intense on-track competition and strategic intrigue, reviving excitement in a closely contested season.
