Lewis Hamilton diagnoses Ferrari car woes at United States GP.
Lewis Hamilton left the United States Grand Prix in Austin with a fourth-place finish and a clear diagnosis of what held him back. The Ferrari driver pointed to car balance as his main problem, while team mate Charles Leclerc took second place and a second consecutive podium. The result capped a weekend in which Ferrari arrived with real momentum and fresh upgrades at the Circuit of The Americas, according to Formula1.com.
Ferrari Arrive in Austin With Upgrades and High Expectations
Ferrari were widely tipped as a threat in Texas after bringing updates to the track. Leclerc and Hamilton topped Friday and Saturday practice respectively, which built the sense that the Scuderia could fight at the front on Sunday.
Hamilton’s lap of 1:34.893 in final practice was enough to beat Verstappen and Leclerc, completing a clean sweep of the practice sessions for Ferrari, with Leclerc topping the other two. Track limits were a theme of the weekend, with 128 laps deleted in second practice alone.
The picture shifted in qualifying. Rivals raised their game, and Leclerc and Hamilton lined up fourth and fifth behind the two Red Bulls, with Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli taking an impressive pole position. The gap between practice promise and grid reality meant Ferrari had to recover ground through strategy and race pace.
How the Race Unfolded in Austin
Antonelli made a strong launch and went on to a dominant victory, running a one-stop strategy. Behind him, both Ferraris were immediately in the action, getting ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar before turning their attention to Max Verstappen. Leclerc found a way past the Dutchman early on before Verstappen took second place back.
Ferrari and Red Bull both committed to two-stop strategies. As the race moved into its closing stages, Leclerc fought back and passed Verstappen for second on the road, and Verstappen finished third. Fans voted Leclerc Driver of the Day for his fighting drive. Hamilton ended up fourth, just short of the podium.
Lando Norris, who had been running second on fading tyres, was passed by Verstappen, Leclerc and Hamilton and had to settle for fifth. McLaren admitted they were not quick enough all weekend, and Norris extended his run without a podium to four races. Red Bull were left frustrated too, with Verstappen saying the team were not on top of things in the high-speed corners.
Why Hamilton Says Balance Was the Biggest Problem
Speaking after the race, Hamilton explained that he did not have a new set of tyres for the start, which left him on the back foot compared with the cars ahead. That led to more degradation in his first stint than his rivals experienced, and he estimated the difference between a new and a used tyre at about two seconds of race pace.
Even so, he stressed that the main factor was the handling of the car. In his words, “balance was off.” He also credited the team for strong work on pit stops and strategy.
Hamilton compared his afternoon with Leclerc’s as well. He said he could not stay with his team mate because Leclerc was running more front wing, while he struggled to turn the car. He added that the same pattern had shown up on a few occasions before, including at Silverstone.
Hamilton Targets a Better Set-Up in the Remaining Races
Despite the frustration, Hamilton said he is encouraged heading into the next rounds. He believes he can be quicker if the team gets the set-up right, and he said he must extract more from the car over the next couple of races. He also wants to understand how he ended up in that situation so he can reach the right window earlier.
He pointed to the team picture too: Leclerc’s result helps Ferrari stay ahead of McLaren and hold second place in the Constructors’ Championship. Formula1.com also reports that Hamilton is now just one point behind George Russell in the battle for second in the drivers’ standings.
Leclerc Enjoys the Race and Stays Optimistic
Leclerc was pleased with his own performance on the way to second. He said he enjoyed the opening-lap battle with Verstappen and the later fights with Norris and Verstappen, and he felt the pace was strong.
He acknowledged that Mercedes spotted a one-stop option that neither Red Bull nor Ferrari took seriously, and said Ferrari would analyse it. Still, he believed a one-stop would not have changed Ferrari’s result much.
Asked whether the run of form could continue, Leclerc said only time will tell, but that he is optimistic. He explained that upgrades introduced over the last three or four races have pushed the car in a direction he likes, which has raised his confidence. He noted that the season is near its end, so no major upgrades are expected and the focus is on optimising what Ferrari already have. He said the team are not in a bad place and that he is curious to see how the car performs at different tracks over the next two weeks.
What the Austin Result Means for Ferrari
Austin gave Ferrari a mixed but encouraging outcome. One driver delivered a podium after starting fourth, while the other identified a specific, fixable problem and said he believes more pace is available. With the upgrade programme essentially finished, the remaining races are about refinement, and Hamilton’s set-up work will be a key storyline.
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Leclerc will look to carry his momentum forward, and Hamilton will aim to turn his balance diagnosis into results as the season runs toward its close, with different tracks coming up over the next two weeks.
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