Lewis Hamilton Tops Final Practice at Austin Ahead of Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton set the pace in the final practice session ahead of qualifying at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. The 41-year-old clocked a lap time of 1 minute 34.893 seconds, finishing 0.168 seconds faster than Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and 0.234 seconds ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc. The session completed a practice sweep for Ferrari, who brought their final upgrade package of the season to the race.

Practice Incidents

Charles Leclerc missed out on the top spot earlier in the weekend after having his best lap deleted for exceeding track limits at turn nine. Track limits have proved a recurring issue during practice, with Kimi Antonelli also caught going over the white lines. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton had to take evasive action during a late fast lap to avoid Gabriel Bortoleto's slow Audi. McLaren team principal Zak Brown noted that Ferrari appears very strong with their new upgrades and shapes up as the team to beat this weekend.

Driver Struggles

Away from the frontrunners, George Russell has endured a difficult 2026 campaign after opening the year with high expectations and an eighth career victory in Australia. The British driver now sits far behind his teammate in the standings and admits the season has severely tested his character and resilience. Track conditions have also drawn sharp criticism from drivers, with Max Verstappen describing the severe bumps caused by the marshland foundation as unacceptable and out of control.

Context

The Circuit of the Americas in Austin has hosted Formula One since 2012 and holds a contract to run the race until 2034. Kimi Antonelli currently leads the world drivers' championship with a 102-point advantage over George Russell and 111 points over Lewis Hamilton with six races remaining.