Ferrari’s tyre strategy at the 2026 United States Grand Prix delivered an impressive second place for Charles Leclerc, but unfortunately it also highlighted why the Scuderia could not seriously threaten Kimi Antonelli for victory. The Ferrari driver demonstrated exceptional pace on the hard C2 compound, at times lapping almost a second faster than the Mercedes race leader. Nevertheless, the eventual winner maintained a 13-second advantage, benefiting from a one-stop strategy that Ferrari could not realistically reproduce without sacrificing competitiveness.
The result was ultimately a positive one for Maranello. Charles Leclerc finished second, Lewis Hamilton secured fourth, and the SF-26 proved particularly competitive on the hard tyres. The decisive difference was not simply the timing of Ferrari’s pit stops, but how effectively each car could exploit the available compounds over an entire race distance.
Ferrari’s Austin tyre strategy: Why the hard C2 made the difference
Ferrari’s strongest phase came after its drivers switched to the hard C2 compound. The white-marked tyre suited the SF-26 exceptionally well, allowing both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to maintain competitive pace while their rivals encountered greater difficulties.
That performance became especially important in the battle against Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver had already completed two stints on the soft C4 before switching to the medium C3 for his final run, a decision that left him at a substantial disadvantage against the Ferrari drivers on hard tyres.
Charles Leclerc exploited that difference to secure second place, while Lewis Hamilton also benefited from the stronger compound during the closing stages.
However, Ferrari’s pace on the hard tyre did not mean that victory had been within reach. Andrea Kimi Antonelli had already built a substantial advantage by completing a highly effective first stint on the medium compound, allowing Mercedes to complete the race with just one pit stop.
The different approaches demonstrate why tyre management was such an important consideration before the United States Grand Prix. The medium compound had presented difficulties for several teams, making its behaviour over a long stint a particularly important strategic variable.
Why Ferrari could not copy Kimi Antonelli’s winning one-stop strategy
The Mercedes driver’s victory was his ninth of the season, and it was built around an advantage that extended beyond outright lap times. His W17 managed the medium C3 so effectively that he completed 24 laps before making his only pit stop.
Ferrari and Red Bull were unable to reproduce that combination of tyre longevity and competitive pace. For Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, completing the Grand Prix with a single stop would have required compromises that their respective cars could not sustain without a significant loss of performance.
The two-stop approach was therefore the appropriate solution for both, allowing them to maintain the speed necessary to remain competitive.
Although Charles Leclerc was extremely quick during his final stint, his advantage on the hard tyre came too late to overturn the gap Mercedes had already established. Kimi Antonelli had sufficient time in hand to manage the remainder of the race without coming under serious pressure.
The comparison highlights an important distinction between producing fast individual laps and delivering the most effective overall race strategy. Ferrari demonstrated impressive outright pace, but Mercedes combined speed with superior tyre management over a longer opening stint.
United States GP tyre choices: How all three compounds were used
The race strategies broadly followed expectations established before the Grand Prix. Concerns about the medium C3 had encouraged several teams to avoid relying on the yellow-marked compound, and its limited use ultimately confirmed those reservations.
Only five drivers started on the medium: Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Lance Stroll. Franco Colapinto and Valtteri Bottas selected the hard C2, while the remaining drivers began on the soft C4.
Another six sets of mediums were introduced after the start, bringing the total number used during the race to just 11. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton selected the C3 for their middle stints, alongside Arvid Lindblad and Fernando Alonso. Max Verstappen used it during his final stint, while Oliver Bearman was running the compound when he retired.
The medium was consequently the least-used tyre of the three available compounds. Across the race, drivers used 11 sets of C3 mediums, 18 sets of C2 hards and 25 sets of C4 softs.
Eleven drivers followed strategies involving only the soft and hard compounds, including some who made two pit stops. In effect, half the field incorporated the medium into its race plan, while the other half avoided it completely.
How Ferrari’s two-stop strategy compared with the rest of the grid
Kimi Antonelli won using a medium-hard one-stop strategy, an approach also adopted by Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and George Russell, although without comparable success.
Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson, Pierre Gasly, Nico Hülkenberg, Esteban Ocon and Sergio Pérez also stopped only once, switching from soft to hard tyres.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were the only drivers to complete the race using the soft-medium-hard sequence. Ferrari therefore followed a distinctive two-stop strategy that allowed it to assess the medium compound before exploiting the much stronger hard tyre.
Max Verstappen followed a soft-soft-medium sequence, while Arvid Lindblad and Fernando Alonso used soft-medium-soft. Gabriel Bortoleto and Carlos Sainz opted for soft-hard-soft, Lance Stroll followed medium-soft-soft, and Alexander Albon completed soft-soft-hard.
Valtteri Bottas, Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman retired from the Grand Prix.
The different compound choices and stint lengths can be explored using the ScuderiaFans F1 Tyre & Stint Analysis, which provides a more detailed comparison of the approaches adopted throughout the race.
Ferrari’s medium C3 experiment delivers encouraging results
One of the most interesting aspects of Ferrari’s race was its decision to include the medium compound despite the difficulties previously encountered with that tyre during the season.
The SF-26 has often struggled to manage the C3, particularly when track temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius. With the circuit surface measuring approximately 35 degrees in Austin, Ferrari may have considered the race an opportunity to evaluate whether the car’s behaviour on the compound had improved.
The test was encouraging, although not entirely representative of the hotter conditions that have traditionally caused problems. A further assessment at higher temperatures would therefore be necessary to establish whether Ferrari has made genuine progress in that area.
During the opening part of its medium stint, Ferrari lost some ground to Max Verstappen, who was running on soft tyres. However, the Red Bull driver subsequently began experiencing degradation, allowing Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to benefit from the changing performance balance.
Both Ferrari drivers ultimately completed stronger medium stints than expected, even if the car’s most significant advantage over Red Bull only emerged after the switch to hard tyres.
On that basis, Ferrari’s compound selection did not represent a strategic mistake. The medium provided useful information and remained sufficiently competitive, while the hard became the decisive tyre for the team’s late-race performance.
Ferrari’s overcut helps Charles Leclerc overcome Max Verstappen
The hard tyre was only part of the explanation for Ferrari’s advantage over Red Bull. The timing of the final pit stops was equally important.
Ferrari executed an extended overcut against Max Verstappen, leaving Lewis Hamilton on track for seven additional laps and Charles Leclerc for eight. This allowed both drivers to exploit their existing tyres before switching to the more competitive hard compound.
The resulting performance difference was substantial. Ferrari benefited from both the superior suitability of the C2 and the additional time gained through its strategy, while Max Verstappen was left managing the final phase on the less effective medium.
The possibility of having two sets of hard tyres available would have made the strategic contest considerably more interesting. However, none of the teams had planned for that eventuality, limiting the options available once the race demonstrated how competitive the C2 could be.
Red Bull’s approach had initially been effective. Completing two stints on soft tyres was an ambitious decision, but the main difficulty emerged when Max Verstappen switched to the medium for his final run.
A different compound choice might have produced a closer battle for second place, although Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s victory was not considered under serious threat.
Why Lewis Hamilton stopped before Charles Leclerc
Ferrari’s decision to bring Lewis Hamilton in for hard tyres before Charles Leclerc was also dictated by the circumstances of the race rather than a strategic error.
The British driver was engaged in a long-distance battle with Isack Hadjar and was attempting to create sufficient space to avoid having to overtake the Racing Bulls driver after his pit stop.
The two were circulating at almost identical speeds, with differences of only a few tenths of a second per lap. Lewis Hamilton ultimately missed the required gap by approximately two seconds.
Nevertheless, once the Ferrari driver switched to the hard compound, he was able to pass Isack Hadjar without significant difficulty. The sequence demonstrated the strength of the SF-26 on the C2 and confirmed that the pit-stop decision had followed a clear strategic objective.
Charles Leclerc remained the quicker Ferrari driver through almost every phase of the weekend and fully deserved his second-place finish. Lewis Hamilton also delivered a strong race, but the late Virtual Safety Car prevented him from attempting to overtake Max Verstappen and join his teammate on the podium.
Ferrari could therefore regard the outcome as a successful performance rather than a missed opportunity caused by incorrect pit-stop calls. Its overall speed was encouraging, although consistently defeating Mercedes will also require the ability to match the tyre management demonstrated by Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Pirelli explains the strategic chain reaction caused by Max Verstappen
Pirelli motorsport director Dario Marrafuschi considered the United States Grand Prix particularly interesting from a strategic perspective, with all three available compounds playing an important role.
He explained that tyre behaviour had broadly matched the predictions developed during the preceding days, while the degradation observed in the race confirmed the estimates made following practice. According to the Pirelli representative, the one-stop strategy ultimately proved the most effective solution.
Dario Marrafuschi also identified Max Verstappen’s early pit stop as an important factor in shaping the decisions of other teams. The Red Bull driver’s move triggered a chain reaction that influenced those pursuing two-stop strategies, while competitors enjoying clear track were able to exploit the benefits of stopping only once.
In his assessment, tyre wear was relatively high but broadly consistent across the teams. The overall appearance of the tyres was similarly uniform, although the medium compound displayed some more noticeable differences.
The hard tyre rewarded teams that included it in their strategic planning. Dario Marrafuschi specifically highlighted Charles Leclerc’s successful overtake on Max Verstappen as an example of the advantage the compound provided.
Ferrari leaves Austin with strong pace but a tyre management challenge
The United States Grand Prix demonstrated that Ferrari has the performance required to compete strongly against its closest rivals, particularly when the SF-26 operates on a compound that suits its characteristics.
Charles Leclerc’s second place and Lewis Hamilton’s fourth represented a valuable result, while the extended overcuts and strong hard-tyre pace showed that the team had executed its strategy effectively.
The main limitation was the inability to reproduce the race-long tyre efficiency that allowed Mercedes to win with a single stop. Ferrari could generate outstanding lap times, but doing so over the necessary stint lengths remained the decisive challenge.
Austin therefore provided both encouragement and a clear indication of where further progress is required. Until Ferrari can combine its impressive outright pace with equally effective tyre management across different compounds and conditions, converting strong performances into victories will remain difficult.
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