Ferrari left the Circuit of the Americas convinced its SF-26 car possessed the pace to win the United States Grand Prix, only for a pair of flawed final runs in Q3 to push both drivers off the front two rows, Motorsport.com reported. Charles Leclerc finished second in Sunday’s main race after executing an aggressive two-stop strategy and a decisive opening-lap overtake on Max Verstappen, while teammate Lewis Hamilton climbed from fifth on the grid to finish behind the leaders after battling persistent balance issues.
Qualifying Errors Cost Ferrari the United States Grand Prix Victory
The decisive blow to Ferrari’s weekend came during the closing moments of Saturday’s qualifying session at Austin. According to Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, the team executed every session from first practice through to the race in strong form, with the sole exception of the final two laps of Q3 for both cars. Vasseur noted that with the tight margins at the front of the grid, a slight misjudgment in getting the Pirelli tires into their ideal operating window cost the squad crucial tenths of a second, dropping Leclerc and Hamilton down to fourth and fifth on the starting grid. Leclerc echoed that assessment, explaining that generating temperature in the tire compounds on his final Q3 runs proved exceptionally difficult and ultimately compromised any chance of fighting for pole position against Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, who secured the top spot on the grid.
"Feels good to be back" 💪Kimi Antonelli storms to Pole Position in Austin, putting him in prime position in the race for the Drivers' Title! 😮💨#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/C2KZdBckyB
Antonelli claimed pole position ahead of the two Red Bull cars driven by Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, who qualified second and third respectively. Behind the Ferrari drivers, Lando Norris took sixth place for McLaren ahead of George Russell, who finished seventh in the second Mercedes.
Leclerc Fights Through Traffic in a Two-Stop Pursuit
Despite falling short of the top step of the podium, Leclerc pointed to a personal breakthrough in his driving style and car setup alignment over the previous three rounds as a significant positive for Maranello. He reflected on the race: A un certo punto ho pensato che la vittoria fosse possibile, quando ho sentito Kimi puntare su una sola sosta.
Hamilton Battles Setup Struggles to Salvage Points
Lewis Hamilton experienced a contrasting Sunday afternoon inside the second Ferrari, hampered by heavy understeer that originated from a miscalculated setup direction chosen during Friday practice. Hamilton explained that the team reverted to Leclerc’s configuration ahead of final practice on Saturday, but the SF-26 still refused to turn properly through the opening two stints. Once the balance shifted closer to his preference in the final stint, Hamilton matched the lap times of the leaders, prompting Vasseur to suggest that without a late Virtual Safety Car intervention, the British driver might have caught Verstappen for higher positions.
Ferrari Consolidates Second Place in the Constructors’ Standings
Sportmediaset reported that the weekend’s performance cemented Ferrari’s status as the second force behind Mercedes at Austin, prevailing in the comparison with Red Bull and finishing behind Antonelli. Both Leclerc and Hamilton remain in the battle as the Formula 1 season heads toward its final rounds, with the next confirmed round scheduled for the Mexico City Grand Prix on November 1.
