USA GP live: Lewis Hamilton reports Ferrari handling problems in Austin as team responds over radio

Lewis Hamilton reported Ferrari handling problems just 13 laps into the 2026 United States Grand Prix, telling his race engineer that he was struggling to turn the SF-26, particularly through low-speed corners. Ferrari responded by instructing the seven-time world champion to change a car setting in an attempt to improve the situation during the 56-lap race at the Circuit of the Americas.

The radio exchange introduced an early concern for Lewis Hamilton after Ferrari had made an encouraging start to the Austin race. Starting fifth, the British driver had gained a position on the opening lap after getting ahead of Isack Hadjar, while team-mate Charles Leclerc had also moved forward from fourth on the grid. However, Hamilton’s subsequent complaint suggested that the car was not delivering the cornering response he wanted during the opening stint.

Lewis Hamilton reports Ferrari handling problems on lap 13

On lap 13 of 56, Lewis Hamilton contacted Ferrari over team radio to describe the difficulty he was experiencing behind the wheel. His message was particularly specific about the area of the circuit where the problem was most noticeable.

“I’m struggling to turn the car, particularly in low speed,” Hamilton reported.

The Ferrari pit wall responded by asking the British driver to change a mode, with the adjustment potentially offering an improvement in the car’s behaviour. The precise setting involved was not identified, and there was no immediate confirmation that the instruction had resolved Hamilton’s complaint.

Importantly, the exchange did not establish whether the handling difficulty was caused by the car’s mechanical balance, tyres, electronic settings or another factor. Hamilton described a problem with the car’s response through slower corners, but that alone was not sufficient to identify its underlying cause.

Why the low-speed complaint matters at the Circuit of the Americas

The Circuit of the Americas combines fast changes of direction with slower, more technical corners, placing different demands on the car throughout the lap. For a driver experiencing difficulty getting the front of the car to respond at lower speeds, the slower sections can become particularly challenging when attempting to maintain consistent lap times.

Hamilton’s complaint was therefore relevant to Ferrari’s race performance, especially because it concerned an aspect of the car’s behaviour that affects the driver’s confidence when entering and negotiating corners. A car that does not respond as expected can make it harder to maintain the intended racing line, although there was no evidence at that stage of how much lap time Hamilton might have been losing.

The instruction to change a mode also suggested that Ferrari was attempting to address the complaint through an adjustment available to the driver from the cockpit. However, without knowing the exact setting, it would be premature to conclude that Ferrari had identified a particular mechanical or aerodynamic problem with the SF-26.

Ferrari faces an early challenge after promising Austin start

The development came after a weekend in which Ferrari had demonstrated encouraging speed during practice but failed to convert that potential into a front-row qualifying position. Charles Leclerc qualified fourth, with Lewis Hamilton fifth, leaving both drivers behind Mercedes and Red Bull at the start of the Grand Prix. Hamilton had previously highlighted Ferrari’s straight-line performance as an area of concern following qualifying.

The opening lap nevertheless provided encouragement for the Italian team. Charles Leclerc moved up the order after passing Max Verstappen during the initial exchanges, while Hamilton advanced past Isack Hadjar and also challenged Verstappen for position.

Hamilton’s lap-13 message introduced a different concern from the straight-line speed limitation discussed after qualifying. Rather than reporting insufficient performance on the straights, he was describing difficulty getting the Ferrari to turn effectively in slower corners.

Whether the suggested mode adjustment improved the situation remained unclear from the initial communication. For Ferrari, the immediate objective was to give Hamilton a car he could drive consistently while preserving the track position gained during the opening phase of the race.

With much of the United States Grand Prix still to run when the complaint was made, the key question was whether Hamilton’s low-speed handling difficulties would persist or whether Ferrari could improve the SF-26’s behaviour through the available cockpit adjustments.