Lewis Hamilton has revealed he 'lost out' to Charles Leclerc through the set-up of his Ferrari car in recent races. Hamilton was outqualified by Leclerc at the United States Grand Prix and finished fourth, while Leclerc took second behind race-winner Kimi Antonelli. At the previous Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton looked strong in qualifying until Q3 when he was beaten by Leclerc.
In Austin, Hamilton topped final practice but qualified fifth. Hamilton, currently one point behind George Russell in the Drivers' Championship, stated the issues stem from the car's set-up rather than his driving. He felt he was driving well but struggled with low-speed understeer through Turns 1, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, which put him out of the podium fight in the first two stints.
By the final stint, the team adjusted the balance, but Hamilton believes they should have started with that configuration. Despite the struggles, Ferrari remained the benchmark in most corners at the Circuit of the Americas, though they lacked straight-line speed compared to Mercedes and Red Bull. The team received praise for their pit stops and strategy.
Hamilton hopes to improve the setup for the upcoming Mexico Grand Prix.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing