Lewis Hamilton reveals he's 'lost out' in recent F1 races with set-up of his Ferrari car compared to Charles Leclerc

Lewis Hamilton has revealed he’s “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 was unable to match his team-mate’s impressive pace in the race on his way to fourth, while Leclerc finished second behind race-winner Kimi Antonelli.

At the previous race in Singapore, Hamilton looked strong in qualifying until Q3 when he was beaten by Leclerc, and a similar pattern occurred in Austin where the seven-time world champion topped final practice, only to qualify fifth.

“I lost a lot of points in the last five races or so,” Hamilton, who is one point behind second-placed George Russell in the Drivers’ Championship, told Sky Sports F1.

“I think it has come from set-up, not perfect, the set-up. That’s something I really have to get on top of. That’s where I have lost out. Performance-wise I feel like I’ve been driving well and the last [race] stint [in Austin] was good. The first two stints there was nothing I could do about that.

“Definitely lots to take away. The team did a great job to bring an upgrade. Charles got a second place. We have got good performance. Hopefully when we go to Mexico, we can improve on where we have gone wrong on that setup.”

Ferrari continued to be the benchmark team in most corners at the Circuit of the Americas but lacked straight-line speed compared to Mercedes and Red Bull.

But, Hamilton was unhappy with the car’s low-speed balance in the first two stints of the Grand Prix which put him out of the podium fight.

“I lost so much time. I couldn’t turn the car in the low-speed particularly – Turn 1, Turn 11, Turn 12, Turn 13, 14, 15. Massive understeer so the [other] cars pulled away when I was adjusting my settings,” he said.

“By the time we got to the last stint, we got closer to the balance but we should have started with that balance at the beginning. Lots of learnings. The team did a great job with pit stops and strategy.”

Could Leclerc have won United States GP?

Leclerc qualified fourth but had a superb start by overtaking Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen in the first sector, only for Verstappen to overtake the Ferrari driver at the end of the first lap.

Ferrari opted for a two-stop strategy with Leclerc which saw him charge past Verstappen and Lando Norris, who did a one-stop race, in the closing stages but he ultimately finished 13 seconds behind Antonelli.

Leclerc believes his qualifying position cost him a chance at victory but even if he had less traffic to contend with in the race, Antonelli was “just too quick”.

“If you look at FP1, FP2 and FP3, we were very strong. If you look at qualifying, at the end of the day in Q3, it was extremely difficult to bring the tyres up to temperature, and we probably lost a shot at the victory there,” said Leclerc.

“But Kimi was very strong, so, as a whole weekend, I think we’re just not robust enough.”

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur believes Leclerc could have won the race in different circumstances.

“The race went well – the racing went well, the pace was OK, we were aggressive with the strategy because we had to overtake,” Vasseur told Sky Sports F1.

“Overall, if we missed something it was the last two laps in Q3. That was the most important laps of the weekend and that’s where we had the issue.

“Overall, I want to take the positive of the weekend that the pace was there from FP1 to the last lap of the race. Without the VSC it would have been a double podium but let’s try to do a better qualifying in Mexico and win the race.”

Can Ferrari win another race in 2026?

Five rounds remain in the 2026 season with the Mexico City Grand Prix up first this weekend, where altitude will be a factor given the track is 2,200m above sea level.

The performance of the Ferrari power unit at altitude will dictate if they can challenge for victory at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, which features lots of twisty corners which the SF-26 should enjoy.

“It’s such fine margins, and it also depends on what the upgrade plans of the others are in upcoming races. But the feeling with the car is getting better and better,” said Leclerc.

“These cars are very specific and unique, and I feel like, over the last two or three races, I’ve unlocked something again in terms of driving, and particularly setup with my driving. Just both together, we’ve taken a step forward, and I just feel much more comfortable with the car.

“I hope that this will result in a win soon. Whether it’s in Singapore or in Austin, we were quite close, so I’m confident that we’ll have a shot to win a race before the end of the season.”

Formula 1 next heads south for the second leg of The Americas triple header with the Mexico City Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime

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