F1 Austin fastest laps: Charles Leclerc leads as Lewis Hamilton takes third for Ferrari

Charles Leclerc delivered the fastest lap of the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix with a 1:37.976 at the Circuit of the Americas, underlining Ferrari’s impressive late-race pace as he fought Max Verstappen for second place. The Monegasque produced his benchmark on lap 42, shortly after his final pit stop, before overtaking the Red Bull driver on lap 49 to secure another podium finish for the Italian team.

The fastest-lap classification also contained another encouraging result for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton recorded the third-quickest lap of the afternoon, a 1:38.457, leaving both SF-26 cars inside the top three for outright race lap times. The Monegasque was 0.417 seconds faster than Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, while his Ferrari teammate finished 0.481 seconds behind the benchmark.

Charles Leclerc’s 1:37.976 fastest lap highlights Ferrari’s Austin pace

The decisive lap came during the closing stages of an intense United States Grand Prix, when Leclerc was attempting to close the gap to Max Verstappen. Having completed his second pit stop on lap 40, the Ferrari driver returned to the circuit on fresher tyres and immediately began exploiting the available performance.

Just two laps later, he stopped the clock at 1:37.976, establishing the fastest lap of the race. The time remained unbeaten despite subsequent efforts from the rest of the field, with Gabriel Bortoleto eventually emerging as his closest challenger in the final classification.

For Ferrari, the lap represented an encouraging demonstration of the SF-26’s speed in race conditions, particularly during the final stint. The team’s performance on the harder compound was an important element of its improved Austin race pace, helping Leclerc maintain his pursuit of Verstappen.

Although the fastest lap reflected the performance available at that particular moment, the sustained pressure applied to the Red Bull driver ultimately proved more important to the race result. Leclerc continued his recovery before completing the decisive overtake seven laps after setting his benchmark.

How Charles Leclerc recovered to beat Max Verstappen for second place

The battle between Leclerc and Verstappen began almost immediately after the start. The Ferrari driver attacked through Austin’s high-speed S-curves and briefly moved ahead of the four-time world champion, only for Verstappen to regain second place with a counterattack at Turn 15.

While Andrea Kimi Antonelli established a commanding advantage for Mercedes at the front, the fight behind him remained competitive throughout the afternoon. Leclerc and Verstappen repeatedly challenged one another, with strategy and tyre performance becoming increasingly important as the race developed.

Verstappen made his first pit stop on lap 13, with Leclerc following several laps afterwards. Both drivers were pursuing two-stop strategies, leaving the timing of their final visits to the pits and the subsequent pace on fresh tyres particularly important.

Ferrari brought Leclerc in for his second stop on lap 40, beginning the final phase of his pursuit. His fastest lap on lap 42 demonstrated the immediate speed available, and he continued closing the gap before passing Verstappen under braking on lap 49.

The move secured second place for the Ferrari driver, completing a recovery that had involved wheel-to-wheel racing, two pit stops and a strong final stint. It also delivered his second consecutive runner-up finish.

F1 United States GP fastest laps: Lewis Hamilton third as Ferrari impresses

Leclerc’s benchmark was comfortably ahead of the next-fastest times recorded in Austin. Gabriel Bortoleto finished second in the fastest-lap classification with a 1:38.393 on lap 53, while Lewis Hamilton completed Ferrari’s strong showing with a 1:38.457 on lap 48.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, despite winning the Grand Prix for Mercedes, registered the fourth-fastest lap at 1:39.086. Max Verstappen followed in fifth, with a 1:39.231, illustrating how the fastest individual race lap and the final finishing order can differ considerably.

The recorded lap times also reflect different stages of the race, fuel loads, tyre conditions and strategic circumstances. The figures therefore provide a useful comparison of peak lap performance rather than a complete ranking of sustained race pace. Ferrari’s F1 tyre and stint analysis offers a broader way to examine how different compounds and stint lengths influenced performance.

Complete fastest-lap classification – 2026 United States Grand Prix:

Charles Leclerc takes positives from Ferrari’s Austin performance

After the race, Leclerc explained that he had thoroughly enjoyed the Grand Prix, particularly the opening-lap fight with Verstappen and his later battles involving Lando Norris and the Red Bull driver. He considered Ferrari’s pace competitive and believed the team’s strategic decisions had been effective, although neither was enough to challenge Antonelli for victory.

Second place nevertheless represented another valuable result for the Monegasque, who occupied fifth position in the Drivers’ Championship with five race weekends remaining, provided the scheduled events in Qatar and Abu Dhabi went ahead as planned.

The result also strengthened the impression that Ferrari had made meaningful progress during the Austin weekend. As explored in the team’s SF-26 race-pace analysis, the latest developments appeared to have improved its competitiveness over a Grand Prix distance.

Leclerc’s fastest lap was therefore one of several encouraging elements of Ferrari’s performance rather than an isolated achievement. Combined with his recovery to second place and Hamilton’s third-fastest individual lap, it provided a positive conclusion to a weekend in which outright victory remained beyond the Italian team’s reach.

Watch Charles Leclerc’s fastest lap of the United States Grand Prix onboard:

Charles Leclerc’s 1:37.976 fastest lap at the Circuit of the Americas