Lewis Hamilton has commented on the reasons why he missed the opportunity to achieve a podium at the United States Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver started the race from fifth position and, immediately after the start, managed to overtake Isack Hadjar, moving up to fourth place on the starting grid, despite competing on used tires.
However, during the first stints, Hamilton lost 0.277 seconds per lap compared to Charles Leclerc, as well as 0.422 seconds compared to Max Verstappen. These differences were decisive, as at the end of the race, the Brit could not surpass Verstappen and possibly not even Leclerc.
According to Hamilton, the main cause of this lack of pace during the first laps was an improper car adjustment. “I couldn’t get the car to turn,” admitted the seven-time world champion, emphasizing that the problems began during Friday’s practice.
After an initially misguided practice, Hamilton recalibrated his setup in FP3, but he still noticed a subtle difference between his vehicle and Leclerc’s. “We’ve been underpowered consistently for some reason,” he indicated, highlighting that, once the race started, the car suffered from significant understeer that hindered his ability to compete.
Hamilton increased the wing angle of his car during pit stops, but it was not enough. “I’m 12 clicks below, which is an alarming number. We need to figure out how to adjust it in the future,” he added.
The situation became even more complicated with the intervention of the virtual safety car to remove Valtteri Bottas‘ Cadillac. Although Hamilton had made some final stints on fresher tires, the neutralization limited his opportunities to gain time and battle with Verstappen.
On potential scenarios without the VSC, Hamilton commented that he could likely have fought Verstappen during the final laps.
On the other hand, Charles Leclerc achieved a podium but expressed disappointment at finishing 13 seconds behind the winner, Kimi Antonelli. Despite his performance, Leclerc hopes to convert this good form into victories in the upcoming races.
It is clear that if Hamilton wants to return to fighting for privileged positions, he will need to review his strategies, as ‘small’ decisions can mark the difference between a podium and an unsatisfactory race.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
