Charles Leclerc overtook George Russell for fourth place on lap 20 of the 2026 United States Grand Prix, completing a move into Turn 15 to move his Ferrari ahead of the Mercedes. The Monegasque driver immediately faced another challenge, however, with Max Verstappen running approximately four seconds further up the road as the two drivers emerged among the leading contenders pursuing a two-stop strategy.
The overtake was an important moment in Charles Leclerc’s Austin race, allowing him to clear a direct rival and continue his pursuit of the Red Bull driver without Russell immediately ahead. With 36 laps still remaining, Ferrari’s focus was not simply on the position gained but also on how Leclerc’s strategy would compare with those of the drivers around him as the race developed.
Charles Leclerc overtakes George Russell at Turn 15
The decisive move came on the 20th lap of the 56-lap contest at the Circuit of the Americas. Charles Leclerc attacked George Russell into Turn 15, the tight left-hand corner following the slower, technical sequence in the second half of the lap, and moved into fourth place.
It was a significant gain for Ferrari against Mercedes, one of its principal competitors during the 2026 season. Russell had started the race among the leading contenders, while Leclerc had qualified fourth and already demonstrated his willingness to attack during the opening exchanges in Austin.
The Ferrari driver had initially made an impressive start, climbing into second after passing Max Verstappen on the opening lap. However, the evolving race order and pit-stop strategies meant that Leclerc found himself fighting through traffic again during the first half of the Grand Prix.
By clearing Russell, Leclerc removed an immediate obstacle and regained fourth position. The move also brought the battle with Verstappen into sharper focus, although the gap to the Red Bull remained substantial enough to require further progress before another direct on-track attack could become possible.
Ferrari and Red Bull emerge as leading two-stop contenders
Following the pass on George Russell, Charles Leclerc was approximately four seconds behind Max Verstappen, who was running ahead of the Ferrari. Both drivers were among the leading runners following a two-stop approach, placing their races on a different strategic footing from competitors pursuing alternative pit-stop plans.
This distinction was important when interpreting the running order. A driver making two pit stops must account for an additional visit to the pit lane compared with a rival completing the race with only one stop, but may benefit from spending more of the Grand Prix on fresher tyres.
For Leclerc, the immediate advantage was that he no longer had Russell directly in front of him. Whether the Ferrari could reduce the four-second deficit to Verstappen would depend on their respective pace, tyre performance and the subsequent development of the race.
Crucially, the gap on lap 20 did not establish which driver held the stronger overall strategy. With more than half the race remaining, further pit stops and differences in tyre life still had the potential to change the order considerably.
Ferrari continues its recovery after qualifying fourth and fifth
Leclerc’s move on Russell continued an eventful afternoon for Ferrari after both drivers had started outside the top three. Charles Leclerc lined up fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth, but the Scuderia immediately gained ground when the lights went out.
Leclerc’s early attack on Verstappen had briefly taken him into second, while Hamilton also advanced during the opening lap after overtaking Isack Hadjar. The two Ferrari drivers consequently entered the race with stronger track position than their qualifying results had suggested.
However, the opening phase also highlighted that Ferrari’s race would not be straightforward. Hamilton reported difficulty turning his SF-26 through slower corners on lap 13, prompting an instruction from the pit wall to change a car setting in an attempt to improve its behaviour.
Leclerc’s battle with Russell offered a more positive development for the Italian team. Rather than remaining behind the Mercedes, the Ferrari driver completed the pass and returned to fourth place, keeping himself in contention as the different strategies continued to unfold.
With Max Verstappen four seconds ahead at that stage, the next question for Charles Leclerc was whether he could close the gap while managing the demands of his two-stop race. His Turn 15 overtake had delivered a valuable position, but the eventual significance of that move would only become clear as the remaining 36 laps played out.
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