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Hamilton blames Ferrari setup error and understeer for missing COTA podium
Lewis Hamilton finished fourth at the United States Grand Prix after a setup mistake left his Ferrari lacking front-end response.
By Michael de Vries - 2026-10-25T23:59:55.000Z - 3 min read
Lewis Hamilton has pointed directly to a costly setup error as the root cause behind missing out on a podium finish at the United States Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion crossed the finish line in fourth place at the Circuit of the Americas, missing out on the final rostrum spot to Red Bull rival Max Verstappen by a single second. While team-mate Charles Leclerc successfully secured a strong second-place finish for the Scuderia, Hamilton spent the majority of the afternoon battling severe balance limitations aboard his SF-26 machine.
Speaking after the race, the British driver detailed how an overly conservative front wing configuration left him severely compromised during the opening phases of the grand prix. Hamilton revealed that his front wing was running twelve clicks down for large portions of the race, creating a massive deficit in turning capability through the slower sections of the Austin layout. This deficiency manifested as heavy understeer, specifically punishing his entry through demanding slow-speed turns such as Turn 1, Turn 11, Turn 13, and Turn 15.
The handling troubles allowed cars ahead to comfortably pull away while Hamilton was forced to constantly cycle through steering wheel adjustments to try and stabilize the platform. Although a late virtual safety car intervention drew attention, Hamilton dismissed the timing as secondary to the foundational pace deficit he suffered early on. He noted that the race was effectively lost during the first two stints because the car simply would not rotate as required, destroying his tyre life and lap times relative to the leaders.
Ferrari eventually managed to dial in a much more competitive balance for the final stint of the afternoon, allowing Hamilton to show flashes of the genuine pace residing within the chassis. However, he admitted that arriving at the correct operating window too late rendered any late-race charge insufficient to salvage a trophy. Despite the frustration of missing the podium, Hamilton praised the Maranello crew for executing a clean race operation, noting that their pit stops and strategic calls functioned smoothly throughout the weekend.
The fourth-place result has immediate implications for the lower steps of the drivers' championship standings, pulling Hamilton within a single point of former Mercedes team-mate George Russell in the ongoing fight for second overall. Reflecting on his recent run of weekends, Hamilton acknowledged that ironing out these recurring setup inconsistencies remains his primary challenge for the remainder of the season. He emphasized that his personal driving performance has remained strong, but failing to land the sweet spot during initial practice and qualifying sessions has repeatedly cost him valuable points.
Looking ahead to the upcoming round in Mexico, Hamilton intends to dissect the engineering data with his team to ensure the squad avoids repeating the same configuration mistakes. With Ferrari clearly demonstrating competitive raw speed through Leclerc's podium finish, unlocking the full potential of the car from Friday practice onward will be the decisive factor as the championship fight enters its final stretch.