Lewis Hamilton finished in fourth place twice during the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin, Texas, but the two results offered very different impressions in terms of performance and personal satisfaction. While the British seven-time World Champion came remarkably close to the podium in the Sprint race on Saturday, his performance in the main Sunday Grand Prix left him positioned further down the order, with Lewis Hamilton himself indicating that strategic decisions made by the Ferrari team had a substantial influence on the final result. Adding to the intrigue, there was a particularly puzzling moment at the very end of the race: Lewis Hamilton lost roughly five seconds on the final lap and reported a sudden right-front tire issue, initially fearing a puncture, although the detailed telemetry and data analysis showed no abnormal readings or signs of a tire failure throughout the lap.
The two fourth-place finishes achieved by Lewis Hamilton at the Circuit of the Americas had very different emotional tones and implications for both the driver and the team. In the Saturday Sprint race, Lewis Hamilton had finished just a few tenths of a second behind the podium, showing promising pace and competitiveness that hinted at the possibility of a strong main race performance. In contrast, during the full-length Sunday Grand Prix, the gap between Lewis Hamilton and his Maranello teammate was considerably larger. According to the Briton, this deficit was strongly influenced by the strategic choices made by the Ferrari pit wall during the race weekend, which affected his overall performance and ability to challenge the drivers ahead.
At the start of the Sunday race, Lewis Hamilton had chosen to begin on medium tires, a different approach compared to his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who had opted for the softer compound in an attempt to maximize early race pace. The Monegasque driver was in fact that only driver to take a notably aggressive approach by selecting the softest compound available among the top ten drivers on the grid. This strategy was designed with the intention of gaining positions quickly, reaching clean air as soon as possible, and defending against challengers from behind for as long as possible, thereby increasing the chances of climbing through the field efficiently in the early laps of the race.
The strategy produced mixed results for Lewis Hamilton. Charles Leclerc managed to overtake Lando Norris of McLaren and secure second place, demonstrating his determination and defensive skills over multiple laps, whereas Lewis Hamilton remained in fourth position, closely following the McLaren driver. Charles Leclerc’s performance highlighted his exceptional racecraft and tenacity, as he defended his position from the start and successfully resisted repeated attacks from Lando Norris for more than twenty laps on the soft tires, showcasing a combination of skill, precision, and tire management that allowed him to maintain pace while avoiding excessive tire degradation.
Behind this leading trio, Lewis Hamilton maintained a consistent distance from Lando Norris, though he stayed within two seconds of the McLaren driver for much of the race. Despite remaining relatively close in terms of lap time, it was particularly challenging for Lewis Hamilton to attempt an overtake on Lando Norris due to the effects of dirty air in the first sector of the circuit, which reduced aerodynamic efficiency and made the car more difficult to handle. Lando Norris himself confirmed that completing an overtake in these conditions was not straightforward, especially when affected by turbulence from the car ahead, which further complicated Lewis Hamilton’s attempts to close the gap.
Adding to the difficulty, Lando Norris was benefiting from the Drag Reduction System advantage provided by Charles Leclerc in front of him, which made it even more difficult for Lewis Hamilton to mount a serious challenge or attempt a strategic maneuver for the position. To succeed in overtaking the McLaren driver, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion would have needed to push the medium tires significantly harder than planned, potentially compromising tire life and negating the strategic benefit of starting on medium tires to extend the first stint. As the race progressed, it became clear that switching to soft tires in the second stint was no longer optional but an inevitable step in order to maintain competitive lap times and manage tire performance.
After completing a prolonged first stint on the medium tires and making his pit stop, Lewis Hamilton rejoined the track with a deficit of approximately ten seconds behind his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. Unfortunately, he did not have the pace to reduce this gap meaningfully during the remainder of the race. Initially, the gap between Lewis Hamilton and the Monegasque remained relatively stable, but as the laps continued, the distance began to increase, eventually approaching nearly thirteen seconds by the final stages of the Grand Prix.
The most intriguing and mysterious moment came on the final lap of the race. Lewis Hamilton suddenly lost about five seconds, with his lap time dropping from a consistent 1:38 pace to a considerably slower 1:43. During this period, the Briton reported feeling strong understeer and initially feared that he had either suffered a puncture or damaged the front wing. He indicated that the issue appeared very suddenly, affecting his ability to negotiate corners effectively and causing him to run wide in several sections of the circuit.
In reality, however, the telemetry data confirmed that tire pressures and all other relevant parameters were within normal ranges for the entire lap. There were no signs of a puncture or mechanical failure. While some might speculate that a slow puncture could have occurred, Lewis Hamilton experienced the problem so abruptly that it felt as if it had suddenly manifested in that specific moment, rather than progressively over the previous laps.
Part of the five-second loss on the final lap can also be attributed to an error in Turn 6, which naturally affected lap time, as well as to running over tire debris known as marbles. These rubber remnants, accumulated from other drivers’ tires, had become significantly more abundant in the longer Grand Prix race compared to the Sprint race. The marbles substantially reduced grip on the track surface, exacerbating Lewis Hamilton’s difficulties and amplifying the loss of time in that section.
Data analysis reveals that Lewis Hamilton approached the first part of the challenging serpentine section with greater caution, lifting early from the accelerator to mitigate potential risks. Despite this conservative approach, he still experienced understeer, losing roughly 50 kilometers per hour in speed at the critical point where he ran wide. As the tires partially cleared themselves of debris, the car’s handling improved relative to the first sector and the early part of the second intermediate sector. However, the penultimate left-hand corner remained particularly demanding on the right-front tire. Lewis Hamilton chose not to push aggressively through that corner, even with Oscar Piastri of McLaren approaching closely from behind. While this cautious approach resulted in the loss of a few tenths of a second, it prevented the dramatic time loss seen earlier in the lap.
Despite this puzzling episode on the final lap, Lewis Hamilton managed to secure fourth place in the United States Grand Prix and considered the weekend overall to be positive. He acknowledged that the car setup following Friday’s first practice session may not have been ideal, which affected his ability to consistently match the pace he had shown earlier in the weekend. Nevertheless, he identified encouraging aspects of the performance that he could build on in future races. The Briton recognized that the strategy had disadvantaged him in the main race, but he was still able to score valuable championship points for the Ferrari team.
Looking beyond the specific results at the Circuit of the Americas, Lewis Hamilton expressed confidence that his understanding and connection with the SF-25 car were steadily improving. This is a natural progression after adapting to a new team and new car characteristics, especially after many years with a previous team, requiring adjustment to numerous different elements of car balance, tire behavior, and aerodynamic responses. Lewis Hamilton indicated that he felt the Maranello team was moving in the correct direction overall and that he was starting to feel more comfortable in the car. He emphasized the importance of extracting even more performance potential from the car while keeping it operating within the optimal window for competitiveness and consistency across race weekends.
In summary, the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin provided Lewis Hamilton with mixed experiences: a promising Sprint race performance close to the podium and a challenging main race affected by strategy, tire management, and a mysterious final-lap loss of time. While the loss of five seconds on the last lap remains unexplained in terms of a specific mechanical or tire failure, factors such as running over tire debris and a minor mistake in Turn 6 contributed to the issue. Lewis Hamilton’s ability to secure fourth place despite these challenges demonstrates his resilience, racecraft, and adaptability.
Ultimately, Lewis Hamilton left Austin with a positive assessment of the weekend, recognizing both the limitations and the progress achieved. His evolving comfort with the Ferrari SF-25, combined with ongoing development work and strategic refinement, suggests that further improvements are likely as the 2025 Formula 1 season continues. The British driver remains focused on extracting maximum potential from the car, improving lap times, and maintaining a competitive position in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.
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