Anthony Davidson spots Ferrari ‘problem’ after worrying Charles Leclerc onboard footage in Austrian Grand Prix practice

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Ferrari have brought the biggest upgrade package of any team to the Austrian Grand Prix, but their major floor update did not stop Charles Leclerc’s wild time in practice.

The Scuderia have fitted a completely new floor to the cars that Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will drive at the 2025 F1 Austrian GP this weekend. Red Bull and McLaren have also brought upgrades to their challengers in Spielberg. Yet neither crew have gone as extreme as Ferrari.

While McLaren have added new aerodynamic elements on their front and rear suspension, which they have also slightly modified, Red Bull have debuted a new floor edge. But Ferrari rushed through a new floor for the Austrian GP with changes to the edge, fences and body.

Ferrari have also introduced an updated rear diffuser to complement the new floor fitted on Leclerc and Hamilton’s cars at the Red Bull Ring. But the Maranello outfit are still yet to field the rear suspension upgrade that Ferrari are working on to improve the car’s predictability.

Ferrari have a ‘problem’ after Charles Leclerc’s multiple offs in FP2 at the 2025 Austrian GP

Yet, despite the new floor and diffuser that Ferrari have fitted on Leclerc’s SF-25 at the 2025 Austrian GP, the 27-year-old struggled to stay on the circuit during FP2 this Friday afternoon. The Monegasque first ran deep at the slow-speed Turn 3 and then at high speed into Turn 6.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Leclerc struggling for rear stability at low-speed and also at high-speed concerned Anthony Davidson, who feels Ferrari now have a ‘problem’ trying to re-work their set-up for the Red Bull Ring. The way Leclerc’s rear-end kept stepping out simply stunned the ex-BAR F1 driver.

Davidson told Sky Sports F1 (27/06, 16:16): “Wow, the rear just really letting go on the initial turn in into [Turn 3]. But here’s Turn 6, this is where he went through the gravel at high speed, and again the rear stepped out.

“But this time at a very different speed range to that of Turn 3 and, dear oh dear, you’ve got now the problem of trying to work the car and rework the balance in a slow-speed corner and in a high-speed corner.”

How did Charles Leclerc’s replacement for FP1 at the Austrian Grand Prix do?

Friday afternoon’s FP2 session was the first time that Leclerc ventured out onto the Red Bull Ring at the 2025 Austrian GP after watching his replacement, Dino Beganovic, get a go in his Ferrari in FP1. The Scuderia selected Styria to fill part of their rookie quota with Leclerc’s car.

READ MORE: Most successful drivers at the Austrian GP of all time and at the Red Bull Ring

Beganovic was one of several rookies to feature in FP1 as teams sought to meet part of their quotas of having to field a driver who has not started more than two Grands Prix during two practice sessions per car per season, with McLaren junior Alex Dunne impressing in Austria.

Dunne ended FP1 in fourth place and was only 0.069s slower than F1 drivers’ championship leader Oscar Piastri during the opening Austrian GP practice session. Ferrari saw Beganovic finish FP1 at the Austrian GP down in P18 during a session affected by mechanical problems.

Leclerc was able to have a largely clean session once on the track in FP2, except for his offs that gave Davidson the sense Ferrari have a problem at the Austrian GP. But he did not show a lot of speed as he came P5 and 0.610s from Lando Norris, who also sat out FP1 for Dunne.