Ferrari emerged from the 2026 United States Grand Prix with renewed optimism after Charles Leclerc secured second place in Austin and Lewis Hamilton demonstrated an encouragingly aggressive approach at the start. Although Andrea Kimi Antonelli delivered another impressive victory for Mercedes, the Scuderia was one of the major positive stories of the weekend, with its latest aerodynamic upgrades helping the SF-26 show its potential.
The performance offered Ferrari an encouraging sign ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc’s closing laps were particularly impressive, while the car displayed strong pace across different tyre compounds. Victory remained out of reach, but the overall impression was of a team that had finally rediscovered both its competitiveness and the confidence to attack.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli delivers a commanding Austin victory
The celebrations already appear close for Andrea Kimi Antonelli. His championship rivals are now so far behind that the Italian increasingly controls his own destiny, and Mexico looks like an ideal setting for a potentially decisive moment. Beyond the similarity between the Mexican and Italian flags, the country’s passionate spectators have consistently given outstanding drivers the appreciation they deserve.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli understands how close he is to the championship and appears eager to finish the job, even if he does not openly display that anticipation. His desire to “finish in style” suggests that he would like to secure the title with another attacking performance, or perhaps another strategically adventurous victory like the one he achieved in Austin.
The Circuit of the Americas demanded precision rather than extravagant driving. Its challenging layout rewarded careful tyre management, itself the product of the mechanical and aerodynamic set-up chosen by each driver and the often-overlooked work carried out throughout practice and qualifying.
It was between Friday and Saturday that Andrea Kimi Antonelli managed to adapt Mercedes’ latest development package to his preferred driving style. That work proved decisive on Sunday, although his remarkable pole position had already surprised the paddock and provided an early indication of his competitiveness.
How Andrea Kimi Antonelli overcame the tyre disadvantage in Austin
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was confident and bold at the start, when few would have expected him to reach the first corner in the lead on Pirelli medium tyres against the soft compounds chosen by Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.
Once ahead, the Mercedes driver quickly built an advantage without overworking his tyres, despite knowing that his strategy involved a single pit stop compared with the two stops planned by his rivals. His ability to combine outright speed with tyre preservation proved central to the victory, allowing him to make the most of his chosen strategy.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli also showed courage when overtaking Charles Leclerc after the Ferrari driver had taken the lead away from him. In the closing stages, he adopted a more measured approach, reducing his pace to avoid unnecessary surprises and bring the car safely to the finish.
There is increasingly little left to discover about a driver capable of combining speed, confidence, tactical judgement and tyre management so effectively. His first Formula 1 world championship appears thoroughly deserved and increasingly inevitable, even before the remaining mathematical calculations and statistics are settled.
Ferrari’s Austin resurgence makes Charles Leclerc the other winner
Yet the United States Grand Prix also delivered a particularly welcome development for Ferrari. The Scuderia finally looked courageous, competitive and fully engaged in the fight, supported by the aerodynamic upgrades introduced for the Austin weekend.
The closing laps from Charles Leclerc were especially memorable. His second-place finish felt almost like a victory in its own right, reflecting both the quality of his driving and the encouragement provided by Ferrari’s improved competitiveness.
Lewis Hamilton also offered positive signs with his aggressive approach during the opening stages. The seven-time world champion demonstrated a willingness to attack, while the SF-26 finally appeared capable of displaying the qualities that had not always been evident earlier in the season.
One limitation remained: the Ferrari still appeared to lack outright power. Nevertheless, its overall performance represented an important improvement, with the car showing competitive speed across the different tyre compounds used during the Grand Prix.
Ferrari’s SF-26 upgrades and tyre performance offer hope for Mexico
The most encouraging aspect was Ferrari’s ability to maintain strong pace regardless of tyre compound. The Scuderia was particularly quick throughout the race, and the team avoided the mistakes that might otherwise have undermined its result.
That combination of competitive performance and clean execution made the Austin weekend an important positive step. The car’s ability to perform across different tyre compounds is also a useful area to examine through the Formula 1 tyre and stint analysis, which allows comparisons of compound choices and race stints.
The improvement built on the encouraging performance Ferrari had already shown during practice at Austin. The latest developments appeared to have provided the team with a more competitive overall package, and the race offered further confirmation that the SF-26 could deliver strong results.
The victory was missing, of course, but that does not diminish the significance of the progress. If Ferrari can maintain the same standards in the coming races, the Mexican Grand Prix could mark the beginning of a much more straightforward and rewarding conclusion to the 2026 season.
For a team that has faced repeated difficulties, the possibility of maintaining this level of performance is encouraging. The challenge now is to demonstrate that Austin was not an isolated improvement and that the upgraded car can remain competitive at different circuits.
Red Bull and McLaren struggle as Formula 1 heads to Mexico
In a Grand Prix characterised more by tension than outright spectacle, Max Verstappen extended his run of consecutive podium finishes to seven. However, the Red Bull did not appear as stable or as easy to drive as it had been during previous races, suggesting that the team had encountered greater difficulties in Austin.
McLaren was largely absent from the leading battle, despite producing impressive lap times on hard tyres. The team’s pace on that compound offered a glimpse of its underlying potential, but it was not enough to make McLaren a major factor in the fight at the front.
Further down the order, Liam Lawson returned to the points with ninth place for Racing Bulls, while Pierre Gasly completed the top ten for Alpine.
Formula 1 now moves directly to the Mexican Grand Prix, where Andrea Kimi Antonelli has an opportunity to move another step closer to his anticipated championship celebrations. The champagne may already be chilling, but Ferrari also has reason to approach the next race with optimism after a United States Grand Prix that finally showcased the SF-26’s potential.
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