Hamilton Reflects on Progress Amid Fourth-Place Finish at Austin GP
Circuit of the Americas, Austin, TX – Lewis Hamilton expressed a mix of optimism and caution following his fourth-place finish in the United States Grand Prix, held at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). The seven-time world champion is adjusting to Ferrari, yet acknowledges that a podium remains elusive.
Hamilton completed the race 13 seconds behind teammate Charles Leclerc, who secured third place. Despite the gap, Hamilton noted, “So close, but still so far… It’s definitely a trend moving forwards, and I’m feeling better in the car.” He emphasized focus on extracting more performance for the upcoming races: “If I can help the team secure second in the Constructors’ Championship, that would be a good end to the year.”
Ferrari continues to grapple with competitive consistency, having failed to secure a race win this season. The team achieved a strong performance in Austin, reminiscent of their one-two finish last year, but Hamilton is uncertain about their prospects for the next race in Mexico City. “It’s really difficult to know why there are those swings and roundabouts,” he commented, reflecting on the unpredictable nature of performance.
Leclerc echoed similar sentiments regarding Ferrari’s competitive stance moving forward. “We are in a different situation now. I still want to believe we can win a race before the end of the season, but I don’t think we quite have the car to do so,” he stated. He downplayed expectations for upcoming races, noting, “This weekend has been the perfect for the team, and I’ll be surprised if we can achieve anything better until the end of the year.”
With the season progressing towards its conclusion, both drivers remain focused on incremental improvements and realistic assessments of their capabilities. The next challenge awaits in Mexico, where Ferrari aims to harness lessons learned in Austin to bolster performance on a challenging track.
