Ferrari swept all three practice sessions in Austin—Leclerc on Friday, Hamilton in FP3—then fell flat when it mattered. Leclerc qualified fourth, Hamilton fifth, while Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli snatched pole and Max Verstappen lined up second.
The Scuderia's downfall came down to two problems: tyre prep and straightline speed. When track temps dropped in Q3, Ferrari couldn't load enough heat into the tyres on the out-lap. Leclerc was sliding before his flying lap even began. The chassis stays cool in race trim—an asset on Sunday—but makes finding the narrow qualifying window brutal.
Hamilton identified a second culprit: power unit deficit. He estimated Ferrari gives up three to four tenths on the straights to the Red Bull-Ford, especially on the long run to Turn 12. The cornering speed can't cover that gap. If it's a tyre issue, Ferrari can manage temperatures over race distance. The engine shortfall is harder to mask.
Read the full story at Motorsport.com
