Lewis Hamilton sets Ferrari demand after 'unforgiving' challenge

Lewis Hamilton has tasked Ferrari with unlocking more performance from his SF-26 ahead of FP3 and qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Coming into the weekend in Spielberg off the back of his maiden victory for the Scuderia, the seven-time F1 drivers' champion has returned to earth with a thud, only able to go fifth quickest in both FP1 and FP2 at the Red Bull Ring.

The intense heat in the Styrian mountains put strains on all teams, but finding himself at least sixth-tenths of a second adrift of Kimi Antonelli in both sessions is cause for concern, even if his car did feel "quite positive" on the first day of running.

"I'd say it was a solid but challenging start to the weekend, with the high temperatures making an already demanding circuit even tougher," the 106-time grand prix winner said after the second hour of free practice.

"The car felt quite positive straight out of the box, but this track is pretty unforgiving, so that even a small balance issue costs you a lot of lap time."

Hamilton finds himself wedged between the Mercedes drivers in the F1 drivers' championship fight, 41 points behind Antonelli and nine ahead of George Russell, which coincidentally is emblematic of where the three found themselves during the second hour of track action in Austria.

The 41-year-old is keen for the Pracing Horse to make strides overnight, as he looks to continue his rich vein of form.

Having clinched his first podium for Ferrari at the Chinese Grand Prix, Hamilton has taken two second-place finishes and his Spanish victory in the past three rounds.

"We've definitely got some work to do to find the right setup and balance and unlock some performance," he added.

"It's all about staying focused, understanding where we’re losing out and seeing what we can do ahead of tomorrow."