Lewis Hamilton has admitted that Ferrari’s decision to experiment with a different setup direction left him uncomfortable behind the wheel of the SF-26 during Friday practice for the 2026 United States Grand Prix. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion struggled to match Charles Leclerc’s pace at the Circuit of the Americas, finishing 0.615 seconds behind his teammate in FP2 despite the aerodynamic upgrades introduced by Ferrari in Austin.
Lewis Hamilton struggles to find Ferrari SF-26 balance in Austin
It was far from a straightforward Friday for Lewis Hamilton at the Circuit of the Americas. The British driver finished sixth in the morning session, 0.503 seconds behind Charles Leclerc, and was classified fourth in the afternoon, with the gap to his Ferrari teammate increasing to 0.615 seconds.
Lewis Hamilton never appeared completely comfortable with the handling of his Ferrari SF-26, despite the aerodynamic upgrades introduced by Ferrari for the United States Grand Prix. The Maranello team’s latest developments offered encouraging signs of improved performance, but the two drivers experienced contrasting fortunes throughout Friday’s running.
While Charles Leclerc demonstrated the potential of the updated car, Lewis Hamilton struggled to extract the same level of performance. His difficulties were particularly evident during second practice, when he questioned the six-tenth gap to Charles Leclerc over Ferrari team radio as he attempted to understand where he was losing time.
Lewis Hamilton explains why Ferrari’s setup experiment did not work
Lewis Hamilton made no attempt to disguise the difficulties he experienced during the two practice sessions, explaining that Ferrari had experimented with a different setup direction that ultimately failed to provide the confidence he needed.
“It wasn’t the easiest day. We tried a different setup direction, but I didn’t feel comfortable with the car, especially over the bumps. Charles has shown that the performance is there, so we need to understand how to fine-tune my SF-26 as well as possible.”
The British driver’s comments underline the contrasting experiences inside the Ferrari garage. Charles Leclerc was able to demonstrate the speed available from the package, while Lewis Hamilton struggled to find a configuration that allowed him to drive with the same confidence.
The bumpy nature of the Austin circuit proved particularly troublesome for Lewis Hamilton, whose feedback highlighted the importance of finding a setup that provides greater comfort and predictability through the more demanding sections of the track.
Ferrari faces important setup work before Austin qualifying
Despite the frustration of Friday’s running, Lewis Hamilton remains hopeful of recovering ground through data analysis and further work with Ferrari’s engineers ahead of FP3 and qualifying.
“Free practice sessions are always a good opportunity to experiment with new things and increase our understanding of the package we have available. This evening, we’ll work on analysing everything we’ve gathered today and see where we can improve ahead of tomorrow,” Lewis Hamilton concluded.
Friday’s sessions therefore provided Ferrari with two different perspectives on the performance of its latest SF-26 package. Charles Leclerc demonstrated its potential, while Lewis Hamilton identified areas where further refinement is needed before the competitive sessions begin.
The difference between the Ferrari drivers’ observed performances can also be explored through the F1 Practice & Long-Run Analysis, which allows comparisons of practice lap times, sector performance and longer runs.
For Lewis Hamilton, the immediate priority is to use Friday’s findings to improve his car’s balance and close the gap to Charles Leclerc. Ferrari now faces the task of translating the lessons from its setup experiments into a more competitive package for the remainder of the United States Grand Prix weekend.
Leave a Reply