Hamilton leads final Austin practice as Ferrari sweep sessions

Lewis Hamilton set the pace in final practice at the Circuit of The Americas, putting Ferrari on top ahead of qualifying for the United States Grand Prix. Max Verstappen finished more than a tenth behind, with Charles Leclerc third after leading both Friday sessions.

The drivers had 60 minutes to refine their cars before the grid-setting session and apply what they had learned on Friday. Ferrari and Red Bull had also appeared to be the quickest teams in those earlier outings, leaving the two outfits looking set to contest pole position.

Readers can follow the rest of the weekend through our 2026 United States Grand Prix live timing.

Ferrari and Red Bull set the pace, with Mercedes behind

Hamilton’s result completed a clean sweep of practice sessions for Ferrari, with Leclerc having topped the first two. Verstappen split the pair in FP3, while Mercedes could not match the front-runners’ pace.

Kimi Antonelli was fourth, three-tenths off the fastest time. His team-mate George Russell followed in fifth, ahead of the leading McLaren, driven by Oscar Piastri. Antonelli arrived at the weekend with a first opportunity to secure a maiden title, although the source report noted he would need his direct rivals to have a poor race result.

Nico Hulkenberg was seventh for Audi, between the two McLarens. Lando Norris took eighth, followed by Pierre Gasly in ninth. Isack Hadjar completed the top 10 in the second Red Bull.

Hadjar incident with Albon draws steward attention

Hadjar was also involved in an incident with Alex Albon late in the session that caught the stewards’ attention. The Frenchman believed the Williams driver had impeded him as he approached Turn 1 on a fast lap. Hadjar then drew alongside Albon and blocked him from rejoining the track, according to the report.

Hamilton’s leading time gives Ferrari a strong final practice result, but the session order leaves the anticipated contest with Red Bull unresolved until qualifying. The start time is 16:00 local time.

For more from the Austin weekend, see our Hamilton and Ferrari coverage.