Lewis Hamilton praises Ferrari progress in Austin qualifying but warns of setup issues. Lewis Hamilton placed his Ferrari fifth in Austin qualifying.

Hamilton’s analysis after Austin qualifying: Ferrari improves execution, but setup remains an issue

Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth for the United States Grand Prix in Austin, delivering another solid performance in red. The British driver explained that Ferrari made a clear step forward in managing the qualifying session, even if the car still doesn’t fully suit his driving style. Despite this, both he and teammate Charles Leclerc confirmed that the SF-25 showed improvement compared to Friday, setting up an exciting battle with Mercedes in Sunday’s race.

The Sprint session earlier in the day offered little clarity, with multiple Safety Cars preventing teams from gathering reliable tyre wear data. Strategy uncertainty also remains for the race, as teams weigh different options due to the mandatory compound change that could lead to varied approaches on Sunday.

Hamilton still searching for the right setup

Lewis Hamilton admitted that despite progress, Ferrari’s setup still wasn’t where he wanted it to be after qualifying. However, he acknowledged the significant steps taken overnight to improve the overall performance of the SF-25: “The car was definitely different and better today. The team did a great job with the procedures and the execution, and you could see that in the lap times.”

As team principal Frédéric Vasseur often emphasizes, Ferrari managed to put everything together operationally, but Lewis Hamilton noted that the setup was still lacking: “In terms of balance, though, the car wasn’t there. I had a lot of understeer even in Q3. I kept adding front wing, but it didn’t make much difference — the understeer stayed. The last lap was a bit better, but I needed that balance from the start of the session to build on it properly.”

Hamilton pleased to start in the top five

Despite the handling challenges, Lewis Hamilton found positives in securing a P5 starting position for the Austin GP: “I’m not frustrated — I’m grateful to be in the top five. My goal was to get ahead of the Mercedes cars and score points for the team. The guys back at the factory deserve that, and that was my main target.”

With improved pace and confidence in Ferrari’s operational performance, Lewis Hamilton will now focus on maximizing Sunday’s race, aiming to convert his strong qualifying result into another consistent finish for the Scuderia.