Lewis Hamilton expressed his delight after equalling his best result with Ferrari by finishing fourth at the Austrian Grand Prix. The seven-time Formula One world champion has faced challenges this season. Although he won the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix, he was disqualified from the main event. Earlier, Hamilton secured fourth place at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in May but had to settle for fifth in Monaco and sixth in both Barcelona and Montreal.Despite these setbacks, Hamilton delivered an impressive performance at the Red Bull Ring, where Charles Leclerc took third place. This result elevated Ferrari to second in the Constructors' Championship. "Mega progress for us as a team," Hamilton told Sky Sports F1, acknowledging the efforts of the factory team for their upgrades. He finished 10 seconds behind Leclerc, noting that while the improvements seemed minor on paper, they significantly impacted their performance.Ferrari remains 207 points behind McLaren, who had a successful weekend with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri securing first and second places after Max Verstappen's early crash at Red Bull's home race. Leclerc commented on their progress: "We are working in the right direction. I think we've brought some upgrades this weekend which helped us to close the gap a little bit."Hamilton praised his team's calm and methodical approach during the weekend, leading to better results. "Everyone here has definitely been a lot calmer and more methodical this weekend," he said. He also expressed satisfaction with being the second-fastest team that weekend, highlighting their reduced gap from McLaren as a positive sign.Leclerc emphasised the need for continuous improvement: "The gap is still significant unfortunately and we've got to push in order to bring as many upgrades as possible." He acknowledged that while it was a positive weekend overall, there is still room for growth. Leclerc currently holds fifth place in the driver standings, 28 points ahead of Hamilton.

Hamilton's satisfaction extended beyond personal achievements; he appreciated his team's collective efforts. "To bag some really strong points, I'm definitely happy with it," he stated. He believes everyone involved can take pride in their work, especially those back at the factory who contributed significantly to their success.As Ferrari continues its pursuit of McLaren, both drivers remain focused on maximising their potential this season. They aim to learn as much as possible from each race and implement necessary changes swiftly to enhance their competitiveness on track.