Hamilton sets the pace in final Austin practice
Lewis Hamilton set the ultimate pace in the final practice session for the United States Grand Prix, placing his car ahead of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. The session at the Circuit of the Americas had a quiet start, with only a few drivers venturing out in the opening minutes.
Sergio Pérez was one of the first on track, eager to gain mileage after sitting out the first practice session. Once the action intensified, Max Verstappen demonstrated strong pace by topping the timesheets on the medium compound tyre, before Hamilton later bettered his time on a set of softs.
Verstappen overcomes an issue to challenge for the top spot
The Dutchman’s session was not without drama, as he was forced to abandon a flying lap after reporting a gear-shifting problem over the team radio. Although the driver was able to return to the track quickly, the issue temporarily halted his progress up the leaderboard.
During the final qualifying simulations on the soft tyre, Hamilton put his car in first position to lead the way into qualifying. Verstappen managed to recover to secure the second-fastest time, splitting the Mercedes driver from Charles Leclerc who rounded out the top three.
Session highlights
- Lewis Hamilton’s final effort on the soft tyres secured him the fastest lap of the session.
- Max Verstappen reported a gear-shifting issue mid-session but recovered to finish in second position.
- Charles Leclerc put his Ferrari in third, completing a strong final practice for the Italian team.
Full Results Free Practice 3 United States GP 2026
| POS | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME / GAP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lewis Hamilton |
Scuderia Ferrari | 1:34.893 |
| 2 |  Max Verstappen |
Red Bull Racing | 1:35.061 |
| 3 |  Charles Leclerc |
Scuderia Ferrari | 1:35.127 |
| 4 |  Kimi Antonelli |
Mercedes AMG F1 | 1:35.196 |
| 5 | George Russell |
Mercedes AMG F1 | 1:35.381 |
| 6 |  Oscar Piastri |
McLaren F1 team | 1:35.531 |
| 7 |  Nico Hulkenberg |
Audi F1 Team | 1:35.591 |
| 8 | Lando Norris |
McLaren F1 team | 1:35.706 |
| 9 |  Pierre Gasly |
Alpine F1 | 1:35.904 |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar |
Red Bull Racing | 1:35.930 |
| 11 |  Liam Lawson |
Racing Bulls | 1:35.931 |
| 12 | Arvid Lindblad |
Racing Bulls | 1:36.081 |
| 13 |  Gabriel Bortoleto |
Audi F1 Team | 1:36.176 |
| 14 | Oliver Bearman |
Haas F1 | 1:36.235 |
| 15 |  Franco Colapinto |
Alpine F1 | 1:36.251 |
| 16 |  Fernando Alonso |
Aston Martin F1 Team | 1:36.455 |
| 17 | Esteban Ocon |
Haas F1 | 1:36.742 |
| 18 |  Lance Stroll |
Aston Martin F1 Team | 1:37.131 |
| 19 |  Alexander Albon |
Williams Racing | 1:37.668 |
| 20 | Carlos Sainz |
Williams Racing | 1:37.711 |
| 21 |  Sergio Pérez |
Cadillac F1 Team | 1:37.884 |
| 22 |  Valtteri Bottas |
Cadillac F1 Team | 1:38.765 |
