Lewis Hamilton topped the final practice session for the 2026 United States Grand Prix, leading Max Verstappen and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc as the Scuderia completed a clean sweep of the three practice sessions at the Circuit of the Americas.
Hamilton set the benchmark with a lap of 1:34.893, finishing 0.168 seconds ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull. Leclerc completed the top three, just 0.234 seconds off his teammate, while Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell rounded out the top five.
Ferrari’s performance reinforced its promising start to the Austin weekend, although the final session also demonstrated how closely matched the leading contenders remain ahead of qualifying.
Ferrari maintains its momentum
The final hour of practice began relatively quietly, with several teams taking their time before sending their drivers onto the circuit.
Track conditions remained a significant consideration, particularly after the difficulties encountered on Friday. The increasingly bumpy Austin surface continued to challenge car stability, while track limits remained another major concern.
A total of 207 lap times had been deleted during Friday’s two practice sessions, prompting race control to adjust the track boundaries at Turns 12, 15 and 20.
As the session developed, the leading teams gradually established their pace.
Verstappen initially impressed on medium tyres, recording a 1:35.702 before Leclerc moved ahead with a 1:35.127, also running the medium compound.
Hamilton, meanwhile, combined his preparation with aerodynamic testing, temporarily stopping on track before continuing his programme. Leclerc also ran with aerodynamic flow-visualisation paint during the session.
Ferrari nevertheless remained firmly in contention as the drivers moved towards their final qualifying simulations.
Hamilton delivers as track limits disrupt the order
The closing stages produced several changes at the top of the timesheets.
Antonelli briefly claimed the fastest lap with a 1:35.015 on soft tyres, only for his time to be deleted following a track-limits infringement at Turn 9.
Verstappen subsequently moved into first place with a 1:35.061, but his advantage lasted only briefly.
Hamilton responded with a 1:34.893, establishing the fastest valid lap of the session.
Leclerc appeared capable of going even quicker, recording a 1:34.810 that would have put him ahead of his teammate. However, that effort was also deleted for exceeding track limits.
The Monegasque consequently had to settle for third place, leaving Hamilton at the top of the classification.
McLaren’s Lando Norris also lost a competitive lap after exceeding track limits, highlighting the difficulties drivers continued to face around the circuit.
Mercedes close, Verstappen frustrated
Mercedes remained among the leading contenders, with Antonelli eventually securing fourth place on a 1:35.196, ahead of Russell’s 1:35.381.
The team had shown encouraging performance over longer runs earlier in the weekend, although its drivers were unable to match Hamilton’s final benchmark.
Verstappen secured second place, demonstrating Red Bull’s competitive single-lap pace despite a session that was not entirely straightforward.
The Dutchman complained over team radio about gear changes, while a late braking error at Turn 15 forced him almost to a standstill before he continued.
His teammate Isack Hadjar also experienced difficulties, including mistakes during the closing stages that disrupted his attempts to improve.
Hülkenberg impresses as McLaren trails the leaders
Behind the leading five, Oscar Piastri finished sixth for McLaren with a 1:35.531.
Nico Hülkenberg delivered one of the session’s notable performances by placing his Audi seventh, ahead of Norris in the second McLaren.
Pierre Gasly secured ninth for Alpine, while Hadjar completed the top ten.
Racing Bulls remained close to the leading midfield runners, with Liam Lawson 11th and Arvid Lindblad 12th, followed by Gabriel Bortoleto, Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto.
Fernando Alonso finished 16th ahead of Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll.
Williams endured another difficult session, with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz occupying 19th and 20th positions, while Cadillac drivers Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas completed the classification.
A closely contested qualifying session awaits
Ferrari heads into qualifying having topped all three practice sessions at the Circuit of the Americas, with Hamilton leading the final hour and Leclerc once again demonstrating competitive pace.
Verstappen remains firmly in contention, while Mercedes has also shown sufficient speed to remain close to the front.
However, the repeated deletion of lap times underlines the importance of precision around Austin’s demanding layout.
With several leading drivers losing competitive laps during FP3, managing track limits could prove just as important as outright speed when qualifying begins.
For now, Hamilton holds the fastest lap of the weekend’s final practice session, giving Ferrari another encouraging result ahead of the fight for pole position.
United States Grand Prix 2026 – FP3 Results
| Pos. | Driver | Car | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari SF-26 | 1:34.893 | 21 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull RBPT Ford RB22 | 1:35.061 | 16 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-26 | 1:35.127 | 20 |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes W17 | 1:35.196 | 16 |
| 5 | George Russell | Mercedes W17 | 1:35.381 | 18 |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL40 | 1:35.531 | 16 |
| 7 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi F1 R26 | 1:35.591 | 19 |
| 8 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL40 | 1:35.706 | 17 |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Mercedes A526 | 1:35.904 | 24 |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull RBPT Ford RB22 | 1:35.930 | 20 |
| 11 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford VCARB 03 | 1:35.931 | 17 |
| 12 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford VCARB 03 | 1:36.081 | 18 |
| 13 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi F1 R26 | 1:36.176 | 23 |
| 14 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari VF-26 | 1:36.235 | 17 |
| 15 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine Mercedes A526 | 1:36.251 | 22 |
| 16 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Honda AMR26 | 1:36.455 | 19 |
| 17 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari VF-26 | 1:36.742 | 18 |
| 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Honda AMR26 | 1:37.131 | 12 |
| 19 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW48 | 1:37.668 | 22 |
| 20 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes FW48 | 1:37.711 | 21 |
| 21 | Sergio Pérez | Cadillac Ferrari MAC-26 | 1:37.884 | 25 |
| 22 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac Ferrari MAC-26 | 1:38.765 | 22 |
