Hamilton explains the setup mistake that cost him a US Grand Prix podium

Lewis Hamilton believes a poor Ferrari setup cost him a podium at the United States Grand Prix. He started fifth and finished fourth, pointing in particular to a lack of front-end grip: for much of the race, he said, his front wing was « 12 clicks too low ».

Hamilton attributed the performance gap between himself and team-mate Charles Leclerc to that setup. He said Ferrari added front wing at each of his pit stops but had still not found the right balance by the finish. He also felt the direction taken during the early practice sessions had made the weekend more difficult: after an incorrect setup in the first session, the team went the wrong way in the second before returning to a more suitable approach for the third.

The Briton described a car that was difficult to turn in the opening part of the race. In his account, the problem was apparent from the start, despite the car feeling good on the lap to the grid. He said he lost eight seconds, leaving him unable to fight for the position he wanted. The car improved in the final stint, when Hamilton was able to match the pace of the cars ahead. He said that, with that balance from the beginning, he would « for sure » have finished on the podium.

Setup was not the only issue he raised. Hamilton also questioned his tyre choice: he had selected two sets of medium tyres, although he said the hard tyre proved to be the best. He added that he began the race on a used set of softs, which he valued at « two seconds of race time » compared with the new tyres on the cars ahead.

A late virtual safety car also ended the prospect of a final-lap battle with Max Verstappen. Hamilton said that fight « would have been awesome ». But his explanation for the missed opportunity remained focused on the setup: despite adjustments during the race, the Ferrari did not find the necessary balance early enough to turn fifth on the grid into a podium finish.