Hamilton Tops Final Practice as Ferrari Dominates US GP FP3

Lewis Hamilton topped the final practice session for the US Grand Prix, clocking a 1:34.893 to finish ahead of Max Verstappen and teammate Charles Leclerc. The session was characterized by a fierce battle at the front and a constant struggle with track limits, which ultimately decided the top of the timesheets.

Why it matters:

Ferrari's pace in Austin suggests they have found a sweet spot with their updated aero package. With Hamilton and Leclerc showing superior raw speed, the Scuderia enters qualifying as the team to beat, potentially shifting the momentum of the 2026 championship fight as they look to convert practice dominance into a pole position.

The details:

• Ferrari's Pace: Hamilton secured the top spot, while Charles Leclerc's fastest lap (1:34.810) was deleted for track limits; had it stood, he would have been 0.083s quicker than Hamilton.
• The Chasing Pack: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) remained the closest legal challenger (+0.168s), while Kimi Antonelli showed strong form for Mercedes, finishing fourth.
• Technical Tweaks: Ferrari utilized aerodynamic paint to evaluate updated sidepod designs, focusing on optimizing airflow and cooling efficiency.
• Grid Variance: Nico Hulkenberg impressed in seventh for Audi, while Williams and the Cadillac entries struggled significantly, occupying the bottom four positions.
• Session Volatility: Track limits plagued the field, with Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli also losing critical laps to infringements at Turn 9 and Turn 12.

What's next:

The focus now shifts to qualifying, where Ferrari will aim to translate their FP3 dominance into a front-row lockout. The primary challenge for the drivers will be precision; as seen throughout the day, the margin between a pole-worthy lap and a deleted effort is razor-thin.