Lewis Hamilton reveals costly Ferrari issue: 'I was really struggling'

Lewis Hamilton has described how he was "really struggling" with balance issues throughout the Austrian Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver finished fourth at the Red Bull Ring, where he started from, to equal his best grand prix finishing position since joining the Italian team over the winter.

However, despite the strong result, it was not as simple as it looked for the seven-time F1 drivers' champion, who was fighting balance and brake issues for most of the 70-lap contest in Spielberg.

The highlight of his afternoon came on the opening lap of the race, when he fought his way back past former Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who had got past him at the start.

Reflecting on that move, the 40-year-old labelled it "pretty awesome" before difficulties slowly set into his SF-25, causing his plight.

"Great start, a great battle with George from Turn 1, 3 all the way to Turn 6, managed to hold on to it on the outside, which is pretty awesome," Hamilton told media, including RacingNews365.

"And after that, the car didn't feel too bad. I was able to hold on for a second, but then I was really struggling with the balance, and we had brake issues."

Hamilton finished nine seconds adrift of Charles Leclerc in the Scuderia's other car. He explained how the problems he was managing cost him time during the race.

The 105-time grand prix winner said he was "pushing" to get the brake issues on his Ferrari fixed, having thus far failed to completely mesh with his Brembo brakes after 12 years on Carbon Industrie equivalents at Mercedes.

"I'm having to manage these brakes really early on, which is definitely losing some time," the British driver said.

"That's something I'm really pushing to get fixed, because that's not great, and then just with balance. I was really struggling with balance."

Nonetheless, Hamilton's fourth-place finish solidifies his sixth position in the F1 drivers' standings. After 11 rounds, he has 91 points, 28 more than Kimi Antonelli in seventh.