Lewis Hamilton fires warning to Charles Leclerc who 'never changes anything'

Lewis Hamilton has hailed Ferrari's qualifying performance at the Austrian Grand Prix, lauding it as "a fantastic result" thanks to the team's latest upgrades. His team-mate Charles Leclerc clinched a close second behind pole-setter Lando Norris, ensuring two Ferraris dominated the top four grid positions.

The 40-year-old beamed with satisfaction over this season's strongest qualifying outcome yet, acknowledging room for improvement despite the excellent finish. He said: "It's a fantastic result. The team have worked hard to bring us a new floor this weekend.

"Considering yesterday [in practice] we were a lot further off, six or nine tenths off, it's nice to be much closer and on the second row, which is really fantastic. My last lap wasn't perfect and I think I could have been second, so there's lots of positives to take out of that.

"We continue to pull together to protect each other and block out all the noise. It's an incredible team and we're working to put all the pieces of the puzzle in the right place. I'm really really happy with the progress we're making."

Less than a whisker away from Leclerc's time, the seven-time F1 champ exuded confidence about catching up. He remarked: "I'm edging closer in terms of performance of Charles, who's really, really used to the car. He hardly ever changes anything, so that's really positive.

"Also, I had more time in the lap. I was nearly three tenths up going into turn six and I had a massive snap going in, and then I came across the line six tenths down. So that would have put me second."

Yet Hamilton played coy on the prospect of clinching his inaugural Ferrari podium - an objective he stated pre-season but has remained elusive amid race day tribulations. He quipped: "Every race I've been saying I can't wait to get that first podium, so I'm not going to say that today! I'll just stay quiet and try to do a better job tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Leclerc echoed Hamilton's earlier critical views of the Ferrari machine this term but appeared much more upbeat by the recent upgrades. He shared: "Monaco was the last time we started on the front row and it's been a difficult season overall, but the team have kept pushing and we brought some new parts this weekend which for sure made a difference.

"If you look at the gaps, everybody is super close so it's a big thanks to the team. I'm happy with the lap and we know that we normally have a better car during the race than in qualifying so, hopefully, we can put a bit more pressure on the McLarens.

"The upgrades definitely helped us today. How much is difficult to know but, when you see how fine the margins were - apart from Lando - it definitely helped us to get to the front row. We did a great job and have worked very well this weekend. I'll do everything I can to make the McLarens' lives as tough as possible."