Hamilton hails 'world class' Ferrari performance
SPIELBERG, Austria, June 28 (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton hailed a 'world class' performance by Ferrari in Austrian Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday after Charles Leclerc took second place on the starting grid and he followed up in fourth.
The session equalled Ferrari's best of the season in Monaco, even if Leclerc was still more than half a second slower than McLaren's pole-sitter Lando Norris. McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri will start third.
"It's a fantastic result. The team have worked really hard back at the factory to bring us a new floor this weekend," seven-times world champion Hamilton, who joined Ferrari this season from Mercedes, told Sky Sports television.
"My last lap wasn't perfect. I think if I'd finished it, I would have been second, so there are lots of positives to take out from that session.
"Also, I think it's been the best day operationally, particularly through qualifying. How the team operated. Just timings, the information we're getting in terms of traffic and positioning on track, I think was really the best. It was proper world class."
Ferrari have yet to win a grand prix this season, although Hamilton won a sprint race in China in March, and the pressure has been mounting on team boss Fred Vasseur as their hopes of a first title since 2008 recede.
Hamilton has yet to finish higher than fourth in a regular grand prix for Ferrari and has now gone 12 races without a podium.
The team, runners-up last year, are now third overall and behind McLaren and Mercedes.
"Ultimately we continue to pull together and protect each other and block out all the noise, and just keep our heads down," said Hamilton.
"It's an incredible team. I'm working with Fred, we're working to put all the pieces of the puzzle in the right place, but step by step. It can't be done in one go.
"We've just got to keep working on it but I'm really happy with the progress we are making."
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