Formula 1 superstar Lewis Hamilton: This weakness cost Ferrari pole position

In Austin, a Ferrari driver was the fastest on the track in all three free practice sessions: on Friday, Charles Leclerc was delighted to set the first two fastest times of the season’s 18th race weekend. The following day, his team-mate Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap in the final free practice session.

In qualifying, however, neither of the two team-mates was able to challenge for pole position at the crucial moment. The pair finished in 4th and 5th places behind pole-setter Kimi Antonelli and the two Red Bull Racing stars, Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, with the Monegasque driver remaining the faster of the two by 44 thousandths of a second.

Lewis Hamilton identifies Ferrari’s weakness

Hamilton knows which weakness is to blame. The seven-time champion explained after the qualifying session: “The team did a brilliant job overnight; the car was really good in the third free practice session and the first two qualifying segments felt great too. I felt I could keep up with the front-runners. In Q3, the car was still good, and my lap was really strong too. But the other lads have taken a step forward.”

“You could see all weekend that our rivals could keep pushing on the straights when we were reaching our limit. The power deficit compared to Red Bull Racing and Mercedes is obvious. In the corners, our car is probably just as good as theirs, but we lose a lot of time on the straights,” explained the record-holding Grand Prix winner.

Lewis Hamilton: A sober assessment of his chances of victory in the Grand Prix

Hamilton also emphasised that the rivals have made progress with the chassis. “You can see that the Red Bull Racing car is now generating more downforce. And Mercedes managed to gain three tenths with the upgrade as soon as they figured out how to harness its potential. They’re now just as fast as us in the corners.”

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Austin: Das Rennen

FIA Formula One World Championship

25.10.2026 - 19:30

When asked whether a win at the Circuit of the Americas was possible, the Formula 1 superstar replied: “You’ve got to remain realistic. We’re in fourth and fifth places, and overtaking isn’t that easy; even if you start from second on the grid, it’s not easy to beat an opponent. If we get off to a good start, then opportunities might arise, particularly in terms of strategy. We’ll see.”