Lewis Hamilton misses Austin podium by four tenths after setup struggle
Lewis Hamilton finished fourth at the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, crossing the finish line just a fraction of a second outside the podium places after a late Virtual Safety Car halted his charge on hard tires, Motorsport.com reported. The seven-time world champion slipped behind Max Verstappen after starting the race strongly and overtaking Isack Hadjar off the line, according to OA Sport. While Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc secured a strong second place, Hamilton spent the first two stints battling severe front-end understeer caused by an incorrect wing configuration.
Setup missteps and twelve missing wing clicks
Hamilton traced the root cause of his performance issues back to the setup, noting that the team needed to better optimize the car’s settings. When the race started, Hamilton experienced heavy understeer through slow-speed corners like Turn 1, Turn 11, Turn 12, Turn 13, Turn 14, and Turn 15, forcing the car wide and allowing rivals to build a comfortable gap. During his first pit stop, mechanics added four clicks of front wing flap angle, and another four clicks during his second stop. Hamilton later revealed he was still four clicks short of the ideal aerodynamic balance throughout the afternoon, leaving him a staggering 12 clicks out of the optimal window.
Late Virtual Safety Car thwarts final attack on Verstappen
Once fitted with the hard compound tire in the final stint, Hamilton finally unlocked competitive pace and rapidly closed the ten-second gap to the Leclerc-Verstappen duel ahead. However, a late Virtual Safety Car deployed for Valtteri Bottas’s retirement froze the field and denied the British driver a final lap to launch an overtaking maneuver against Verstappen. Speaking to journalists in Texas, Hamilton admitted that the missed podium stemmed entirely from the lost time in the opening two stints when the car refused to rotate in the apexes.
Drivers in the battle for second place
With Antonelli virtually securing the title, attention has shifted entirely to the fight for runner-up honors in the championship standings. Hamilton sits just one point behind George Russell in the battle for second place after losing ground over the previous five rounds due to ongoing setup struggles. FormulaPassion reported that Hamilton believes his actual driving performance remained strong throughout the weekend, highlighting that fixing the team’s weekend preparation and Friday setup routines remains the primary objective ahead of the upcoming race in Mexico.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Lewis Hamilton struggle with car balance during the race?
Hamilton suffered from severe front-end understeer because his Ferrari was set up with a front wing that was too unloaded, a configuration issue that traced back to lost running and incorrect setup directions during Friday practice sessions at Austin.
How many championship points separate Lewis Hamilton and George Russell?
Lewis Hamilton sits just one single point behind George Russell in the battle for second place in the driver standings following the United States Grand Prix.
What stopped Hamilton from overtaking Max Verstappen for third place?
An entry of a Virtual Safety Car in the closing laps, triggered by Valtteri Bottas retiring from the race, halted Hamilton’s late charge on hard tires just as he had successfully closed the gap to the Red Bull driver.
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