Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in the final practice session (FP3) for the 2026 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. His lap of 1:34.893 on soft tyres topped the session, marking a strong showing for Ferrari, which completed a clean sweep of all practice sessions during the weekend.
Following Hamilton’s leading time, Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing was second fastest, just 0.168 seconds behind. Charles Leclerc secured third place, trailing Hamilton by 0.234 seconds. Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell rounded out the top five, finishing fourth and fifth respectively. The session saw a cautious start with only a few drivers on track initially, as some faced grid penalties ahead of qualifying.
Track limits proved to be a significant challenge throughout the session, resulting in numerous lap times being deleted, including Leclerc’s fastest lap. Verstappen reported shifting issues over the radio during his runs, while a pit lane incident involving Nico Hulkenberg and Lance Stroll is currently under investigation by the stewards. Despite these challenges, Hamilton’s time remained unbeaten, confirming Ferrari’s dominance in practice.
The session’s early phase was marked by a slow rollout, with teams carefully managing their programmes. Grid penalties for some drivers affected their track time and strategies during FP3. The issue of track limits was particularly prominent, with many drivers losing their best lap times due to exceeding the circuit boundaries. This added an extra layer of complexity as teams sought to find clean laps ahead of qualifying.
Mercedes showed consistent pace with Antonelli and Russell both inside the top five, highlighting their ongoing competitiveness. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s shifting difficulties raised concerns about Red Bull’s race weekend preparations. The pit lane incident under review involved Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, though no further details have been confirmed at this stage.
With Hamilton leading the way and Ferrari completing the practice session clean sweep, the focus now shifts to qualifying, scheduled later the same day at 16:00 local time. The session will determine the starting grid for the race weekend, with teams aiming to convert their practice pace into strong qualifying performances.