Lewis Hamilton tops the timing sheets in FP3 ahead of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc
AUSTIN, Texas — Lewis Hamilton topped the timing sheets in the third and final hour of practice ahead of Max Verstappen and teammate Charles Leclerc, setting up what could be a dramatic qualifying hour here at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix. The session got underway right at 12:30 p.m. local time, under partly […]
Lewis Hamilton led the timing sheets in the final hour of practice, or FP3, at the United States Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen and teammate Charles Leclerc. The session began at 12:30 p.m. local time, under partly cloudy skies with temperatures around 80°F. A few teams, including Sergio Pérez, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Franco Colapinto, started quickly, while others like Lando Norris, Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, Leclerc, and Oliver Bearman waited in the garage.
As the session progressed, more teams joined the action, with Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, and the Cadillac and Alpine duos taking to the track. The first big surprise came when Liam Lawson topped the times with a lap of 1:36.420 on soft tires, followed by Piastri at 1:36.243 and Verstappen at 1:35.702 on mediums. Hamilton then took the top spot with 1:35.561, setting a new pace for the grid.
Kimi Leclerc claimed third place on medium tires, and Drivers' Championship leader Kimi Antonelli slid into third with a lap on softs. However, both his and Russell's times were deleted for exceeding track limits. Verstappen then set a new session standard with a 1:35.061 on softs, but Hamilton quickly cut the lap record with 1:34.893.
Leclerc's last lap of 1:34.810 also faced deletion for track limit violations. In the final ten minutes, Nico Hülkenberg surprisingly finished in seventh place, raising questions about the upcoming qualifying session.
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