Lewis Hamilton Tops Final Practice at US Grand Prix Ahead of Verstappen
- Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets in the final practice session for the 2026 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, clocking a 1:34.893.
- Similar infractions stripped laps from Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris.
- Capitalizing on the deleted laps of his rivals, Hamilton secured the benchmark time on soft tires.
Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets in the final practice session for the 2026 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, clocking a 1:34.893. The Ferrari driver edged out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and teammate Charles Leclerc as teams finalized setups ahead of qualifying in Austin, Texas.
Hamilton Leads Ferrari Surge as Track Limits Dictate Practice Order
Similar infractions stripped laps from Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris.
Capitalizing on the deleted laps of his rivals, Hamilton secured the benchmark time on soft tires. Verstappen finished 0.168 seconds behind in second place, while Leclerc retained third despite losing his fastest run, ending 0.234 seconds adrift.
Contrasting Upgrades and Surface Concerns at Austin
Leclerc downplayed the impact of Ferrari’s latest car update package, noting the team expected only a minor gain rather than a major competitive leap. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur similarly urged caution regarding Friday pace, while McLaren CEO Zak Brown pointed to Ferrari as the team to beat during the Texas weekend.
Lewis Hamilton sets the first lap of the front-running teams, with a 1:36.716 on the soft tyres ⏱️#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/uWVm9x8m47
Away from lap times, circuit bumps continued to draw scrutiny from drivers. Circuit of the Americas president Bobby Epstein told ESPN that all major bumps on the asphalt had been smoothed out except for a single depression on the approach to Turn 1. Despite Verstappen raising concerns during driver briefings, FIA sports director Tim Malin met with competitors to address the persistent track surface complaints.
Qualifying Stakes and Championship Standings in Texas
Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished fifth during the final practice session after losing a lap that would have placed him higher up the order. Antonelli enters the weekend holding a 102-point lead in the drivers’ standings over Mercedes teammate George Russell, who finished the practice session fourth.
Qualifying for the 18th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season is scheduled to take place at 0:00 Bulgarian time.