Hamilton Tops Final Practice as Ferrari Sweeps US GP Sessions

Lewis Hamilton closed out the final practice session for the United States Grand Prix at the top of the timing sheets, completing a clean sweep of all three practice sessions for Ferrari. The seven-time champion narrowly beat out Max Verstappen and teammate Charles Leclerc in a session defined by aggressive pace and a strict crackdown on track limits.

Why it matters:

Ferrari's dominance across the entire practice weekend signals a near-perfect technical setup for the Circuit of the Americas. By topping every session, the Scuderia has established itself as the benchmark heading into qualifying, placing immense pressure on Red Bull and a Mercedes team that is currently fighting for a historic title.

The details:

• Top Pace: Hamilton clocked a 1:34.893 on the soft compound, becoming the first driver of the weekend to break the 1:35 barrier.
• The Top Five: Max Verstappen (2nd) and Charles Leclerc (3rd) followed, though Leclerc's potential top time was deleted due to track limit violations—a recurring theme this weekend with 128 laps deleted in FP2 alone.
• Mercedes Contenders: Kimi Antonelli (4th) and George Russell (5th) remain firmly in the mix. Antonelli, in particular, enters the weekend with the opportunity to seal his maiden world title.
• Stewards' Watch: An investigation is underway following a pit lane incident between Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.
• Grid Penalties: Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto, and Arvid Lindblad are all confirmed to carry penalties into Sunday's race.

The big picture:

The 2026 competitive landscape is showing a clear divide. While Ferrari and Red Bull battle for the front row, the struggle of Williams—with Albon and Sainz finishing 19th and 20th—and the learning curve for the new Cadillac entries highlight a widening gap between the elite teams and the midfield.

What's next:

Attention now shifts to Qualifying at 16:00 local time. The primary question is whether Ferrari can translate this practice dominance into a front-row lockout, or if Verstappen can find the missing tenth to disrupt the Scuderia's momentum.