Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets in the final practice session for the United States Grand Prix, leading Max Verstappen and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas.
The seven-time world champion clocked a fastest lap of 1:34.893 to secure first place in FP3, completing a clean sweep of all three practice sessions for Ferrari over the United States Grand Prix weekend.
Verstappen finished second, 0.168 seconds behind Hamilton, while Leclerc secured third after having another lap deleted for exceeding track limits.
Mercedes duo Kimi Antonelli and George Russell completed the top five, with Oscar Piastri leading McLaren’s challenge in sixth place.
VERSTAPPEN SETS THE EARLY PACE
The final practice session began relatively quietly when the pit lane opened at 12:30 local time. Sergio Perez, Gabriel Bortoleto and Franco Colapinto were among the first drivers to venture onto the circuit.
Perez was making up for missing FP1, when Cadillac reserve driver Colton Herta took over his car. Meanwhile, Bortoleto and Colapinto were among the drivers facing grid penalties for Sunday’s race.
As more cars joined the action, attention quickly turned to Ferrari following Leclerc’s dominant performance in Friday’s two practice sessions.
However, the Monegasque driver had cautioned against raising expectations too high, suggesting that rival teams still had performance to unlock.
His concerns appeared justified when Verstappen moved to the top of the timesheets approximately 20 minutes into the session with a lap of 1:35.702 on medium tyres.
Antonelli subsequently moved into third place behind Verstappen and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
Both Leclerc and Lando Norris initially had their lap times deleted for exceeding track limits, continuing a trend that had become particularly noticeable throughout the weekend.
During FP2 alone, 128 lap times were reportedly deleted for track-limits violations, highlighting the difficulty drivers faced when pushing their cars to the limit around the demanding Austin circuit.
Hamilton then moved ahead of Verstappen, although the Ferrari driver’s benchmark was set on the softer tyre compound.
LECLERC DEMONSTRATES FERRARI’S PACE
As the session approached its halfway point, Leclerc returned to the top of the leaderboard with an impressive lap of 1:35.127 on medium tyres.
The time was 0.164 seconds faster than his best effort in Friday’s FP2, providing further evidence that Ferrari had continued to improve its performance.
Antonelli, Hamilton and Verstappen followed the Ferrari driver during this phase of the session.
However, Verstappen reported concerns about his Red Bull’s gear changes over the radio, suggesting that the team still had some issues to address before qualifying.
Mercedes subsequently demonstrated its potential when both drivers switched to soft tyres for their faster runs.
Antonelli briefly claimed first place, while Russell climbed into third behind Leclerc.
The Italian’s lap was subsequently deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 9, prompting his race engineer, Pete Bonnington, to remark over the radio: “You were doing so well.”
Track limits remained a critical factor, with drivers needing to find the perfect balance between extracting maximum performance and keeping their lap times valid.
HAMILTON BREAKS INTO THE 1:34S
The fight for the fastest lap intensified as the session entered its final stages.
Verstappen returned to the top of the timesheets before Hamilton delivered the decisive performance of the session.
The Ferrari driver became the first competitor to break into the 1:34s, producing a lap of 1:34.893 that ultimately secured the fastest time.
Leclerc appeared capable of beating his teammate after setting a quicker lap of 1:34.810. However, that effort was deleted for a track-limits infringement, leaving him third in the final classification.
Hamilton therefore retained the top position ahead of Verstappen and Leclerc when the chequered flag brought the session to a close.
The result completed a remarkable practice sweep for Ferrari, with Leclerc topping FP1 and FP2 before Hamilton delivered the fastest time in FP3.
Although Ferrari had demonstrated impressive pace throughout the weekend, qualifying would provide a clearer indication of its competitiveness against Red Bull and Mercedes when the fight for pole position began.
HULKENBERG AND STROLL INVOLVED IN PIT-LANE INCIDENT
The session also featured an incident involving Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg and Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll.
Replays showed Hülkenberg preparing for a practice start after pulling to the side of the pit lane, just as Stroll approached through the fast lane.
The stewards subsequently confirmed that the incident would be investigated after the session.
Elsewhere, Williams endured another difficult practice session, with Alexander Albon finishing 19th and Carlos Sainz in 20th.
The Cadillac drivers occupied the final two positions, with Perez ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas.
At the front, Ferrari had secured the top and third positions, while Mercedes placed both cars inside the top five.
FP3 RESULTS — UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX
Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas
ALL EYES TURN TO QUALIFYING
With the final practice session complete, attention shifted to qualifying at the Circuit of The Americas.
Ferrari entered the session with considerable momentum after topping all three practice sessions, but Verstappen and the Mercedes drivers had demonstrated enough pace to remain serious contenders.
Hamilton’s performance was particularly encouraging, as the British driver showed that Ferrari’s speed was not limited to Leclerc.
Nevertheless, practice results do not guarantee qualifying success. Tyre preparation, track evolution, traffic and track-limits compliance would all play important roles in determining the starting grid.
For Ferrari, the objective was clear: convert its strong practice pace into a competitive qualifying result and give Hamilton and Leclerc the best possible starting positions for Sunday’s race.
After an encouraging start to the weekend, the Scuderia had every reason to be optimistic. The question was whether it could maintain that advantage when it mattered most.
Adhe is part of the 88 Eight Box Editorial Team, covering JDM culture, motorsport, automotive technology, and industry news. The team focuses on delivering original automotive stories, reviews, and insights for enthusiasts worldwide.
