Friday Formula 1 pacesetter Ferrari fell short of a grand prix pole position for the 18th time in 2026, this time at Austin, because of two familiar weaknesses and unfortunate timing.
๐ The Core Development
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton ended up fourth and fifth but had slightly different views on why they could not match Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes and the two Red Bulls.
This year's Ferrari has battled a single-lap tyre weakness that has left it weaker on Saturdays than Sundays for much of the year.
๐ Background & Sector Context
"It's very disappointing because I think there are some other weekends where we've been strong in free practice, but then come quali, it's very clear that the others are just having a lot more in the straights, and it's very difficult for us to match that," Friday pacesetter Leclerc said.
"But I felt like it's a qualifying where we had the potential in the car, but the car also includes tyres, and in Q3, unfortunately, we were not in the right place.
๐ Industry & Real-World Impact
"It was like 1ยฐC or 2ยฐC less in Q3, and for me, it was a huge difference. Just really struggled in the outlap.
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๐ฎ Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead
"I was sliding quite a lot already from the outlap, and that made it very difficult after that."
Leclerc called on Ferrari to "work harder and try and understand those tyres very well, even better than what we are doing now, because the others I think normally have a bit more".
