Leclerc fires Ferrari warning despite improved showing in Austria

Charles Leclerc was pleased with the gains made by Ferrari at the Austrian Grand Prix, despite the commanding performance from Red Bull.

Despite coming close to toppling Max Verstappen in qualifying, Leclerc was unable to compete with the impressive race pace of the Red Bull, and finished runner-up to the championship leader.

Such was his pace advantage, Verstappen was able to pit for Soft-compound tyres and set the fastest lap of the race in the closing stages.

Speaking after the race, Leclerc was relieved to return to the podium, but warned that Ferrari still had "a lot of work to do" to catch Red Bull.

"I think Friday and today we have maximized what we had really, it was more yesterday that I was off the pace, but it's good to be back on the podium," Leclerc told media.

"The upgrades that we brought on the car made me feel a little bit better in those conditions, which is looking good for the future. The team has done an excellent job by bringing these upgrades earlier.

"But obviously there's still a lot of work to do because Max and Checo have had a lot of pace.

"At least it's good to be back on the podium, especially after the last few races that have been a bit more difficult."