Leclerc had topped both Friday practice sessions at the Circuit of the Americas, while Hamilton set the fastest time during final practice.
However, Ferrari lost ground to Mercedes and Red Bull during qualifying despite completing updates to the floor, sidepod inlet and diffuser.
Hamilton finished 0.044 seconds behind Leclerc and said the car had performed well throughout the session. “My car felt really good. The lap was solid, so the others were just quicker,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton attributed Ferrari’s deficit primarily to weaker straight-line speed, particularly on the approaches to Turns 1 and 11.
Ferrari’s rivals had also improved chassis performance during recent races, narrowing an advantage previously enjoyed by the SF-26. “Red Bull has closed up on downforce,” Hamilton said.
“Mercedes took a three-tenths step with an upgrade a couple of races ago. Mercedes is starting to understand how to use that and is now matching us through the corners.”
Hamilton estimated that Red Bull’s power advantage could be worth between 0.3 and 0.5 seconds in some areas. “If we had the same power, we would be right there in the battle,” Hamilton said. “I think we would probably be on the front row.”
Leclerc said Ferrari had possessed sufficient pace for a stronger result but struggled to manage tyre temperatures during the final qualifying session. “It’s very disappointing because I think we had the potential in the car,” Leclerc said.
“The car also includes the tyres, and in Q3, unfortunately, we were not in the right place.”
Leclerc struggled with sliding during the preparation lap, leaving the tyres outside the optimum operating range. “As soon as we are a tiny bit outside the window, we pay a heavy price,” Leclerc said.
Despite starting behind the leading Mercedes and Red Bull cars, Hamilton remained hopeful that Ferrari could use strategy and the opening lap to gain positions. “You have to be realistic,” Hamilton said. “We’re fourth and fifth, and it’s very hard to overtake here.”
Hamilton said opportunities could nevertheless emerge during the run to Turn 1 and through alternative pit-stop strategies.
–F1/ChannelAfrica–
