Frustrated Charles Leclerc searching for answers as Ferrari struggles continue

Charles Leclerc cut a frustrated figure once again after the Austrian Grand Prix, with the Monegasque still searching for answers as to why he is struggling so much.

It had appeared that a major step forward had been made by Leclerc in qualifying, after the Ferrari driver not only secured a front-row start but also outqualified Lewis Hamilton.

However, qualifying marked the end of Leclerc's progress at the Red Bull Ring, as his race unravelled from the moment the lights went out.

He immediately fell behind Hamilton on the opening lap before later also being overtaken by Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri.

After starting second, Leclerc found himself down in eighth by the end of the race and 45 seconds adrift of race winner George Russell.

Leclerc faced major difficulties getting the SF-26 and its tyres into the right window, with a lack of rear grip proving a key problem and the Ferrari driver still unsure how to get the most out of the car.

"It was just an incredibly difficult race, with very, very low grip overall," Leclerc told select media, including RacingNews365. 

"I just struggled to get the car, and especially the tyres, into the right window, particularly the rears, and was just missing a lot of rear grip.

"But, yeah, I mean, there's still a lot of work to be done. I think I've been working very hard in the past few weeks because there has always been one reason or another that's made me struggle on Sunday or on Saturday.

"But at the moment, there's always a reason why there's a struggle, and that probably means I don't really have a clear picture of what I want from this car. And, yeah, I've got to find that."