Hamilton explains Ferrari’s Qualifying deficit in Austin

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have opened up on why Ferrari struggled to convert their strong practice pace into a competitive Qualifying result at the United States Grand Prix. Despite showing promising speed on Friday, Leclerc and Hamilton had to settle for fourth and fifth places respectively in Q3, losing out to rivals Mercedes and Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton expressed satisfaction with his car's handling and clean laps, but pointed out that Ferrari's lack of straight-line speed compared to the Red Bull Ford power unit and rival upgrades hindered their progress. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc was more critical of his session, citing issues with tyre temperature and preparation on his out lap during Q3. Looking ahead to Sunday's race, Hamilton remains cautiously optimistic that strategic opportunities and the run down to Turn 1 could offer a chance to make up ground.