The third and final free practice session of the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix gets underway at 7:30 PM Italian time at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. Follow our live FP3 coverage as Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull and the rest of the field complete their final preparations ahead of qualifying.
Charles Leclerc heads into the session after setting the fastest time in both Friday practice sessions, giving Ferrari an encouraging start to its Austin weekend. The Monegasque topped FP2 ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen, while Lewis Hamilton encountered greater difficulties as the Maranello team continued evaluating its latest SF-26 aerodynamic upgrades.
F1 United States GP 2026: FP3 live updates from Austin
Good evening to all our ScuderiaFans.com readers! Welcome to our live coverage of the third free practice session at the 2026 United States Grand Prix. The action begins at 7:30 PM Italian time and will conclude one hour later, providing the teams with their final opportunity to refine their cars before the competitive sessions.
As usual during FP3, the main focus will be on perfecting the setups for qualifying and the Grand Prix. Teams will be able to make their final adjustments following Friday’s running, using the information gathered during the first two sessions to improve balance, performance and consistency.
Ferrari arrives at this final practice session with encouraging results from Friday. Charles Leclerc was the fastest driver in both FP1 and FP2, confirming the SF-26’s strong early competitiveness at Austin. During the afternoon session, the Ferrari driver finished ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with the complete Austin FP2 results and classification highlighting the small gaps between the leading contenders.
Lewis Hamilton experienced a more challenging Friday, although his programme also involved comparing Ferrari’s latest aerodynamic components. The team used the opening practice session to assess different specifications before continuing its development work in FP2, when both drivers ran the updated package. The encouraging performance of the revised SF-26 is explored in our analysis of Charles Leclerc’s fastest FP2 lap and Ferrari’s Austin pace.
Will Ferrari maintain its advantage during the third and final practice session, or will Mercedes and Red Bull close the gap before qualifying? And can Lewis Hamilton find the improvements needed to move closer to Charles Leclerc?
Follow ScuderiaFans.com for live, minute-by-minute coverage of FP3 at the 2026 United States Grand Prix, with the latest developments from the Circuit of The Americas. You can also check the complete United States Grand Prix weekend schedule and session times as the action continues in Austin.
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