Marco Rossi · F1 Correspondent
With the fastest lap of the weekend so far, Lewis Hamilton made a statement in third practice, while the Mercedes title rivals behind him were separated by only a small margin.
Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time of the weekend so far in third practice for the United States Grand Prix in Austin at midday on Saturday, a 1:34.893, just ahead of Max Verstappen (+0.168 seconds) and his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc (+0.234 seconds). The session showed how closely the field has bunched up ahead of qualifying in the afternoon.
Ferrari turns the tables
After Charles Leclerc had topped both practice sessions on Friday, it was Hamilton who swapped roles within the team on Saturday. His lap gave him a 0.234-second margin over Leclerc, who had to settle for third this time after his fastest lap was deleted for exceeding track limits. Between them, the pair made sure Ferrari had the fastest driver in all three practice sessions, a clear signal of the team's form this weekend.
That it was Hamilton of all people who set the benchmark matters beyond the lap time itself: after a season of up-and-down form, the result looks like a small but visible step forward for the seven-time world champion.
Mercedes in lockstep, Red Bull with one car up front
Behind the Ferrari duo and Verstappen, Mercedes lined up together: Andrea Kimi Antonelli was 0.303 seconds off the pace, George Russell 0.488 seconds, an internal gap of 0.185 seconds in favor of the young Italian. According to reports, Antonelli arrived in Austin with a comfortable lead in the drivers' standings and would, on paper, have his first chance to wrap up the title early this weekend. A steady session like this one, with both Mercedes drivers close to the top, should be a reassuring sign heading into qualifying.
At Red Bull, by contrast, the gap between the teammates stood out. While Verstappen kept pace near the front again in second, Isack Hadjar only managed tenth, 0.869 seconds behind his teammate. For a team that needs every point in the constructors' standings, that gap remains an issue that carries weight beyond a practice result.
McLaren searches for balance, Bortoleto sparks debate
For McLaren, the session was quieter than usual: Oscar Piastri finished sixth, Lando Norris only eighth, 0.175 seconds behind his teammate. According to specialist media, the MCL40 again proved difficult to tame in third practice, which puts McLaren under pressure ahead of qualifying if the team does not want to fall behind.
Gabriel Bortoleto provided extra talking points: the Audi driver was traveling slowly on the racing line as Hamilton, on a fast lap, approached the braking zone for Turn 12, and Hamilton had to take evasive action. The stewards opened an investigation into possible impeding, and no decision had been announced at the time of writing. Before the session, the FIA had also relaxed the track limits tolerances at several points around the circuit after more than 200 lap times were deleted for track limits violations on Friday. The field now heads into qualifying in the afternoon, which will show whether Ferrari's practice form can be turned into a grid position haul that leaves its mark on the intra-team title fight on Sunday.
