Ferrari misses double podium after qualifying setback

Ferrari finished the United States Grand Prix with Charles Leclerc in second and Lewis Hamilton in fourth, after team principal Fred Vasseur said missed qualifying execution and a late Virtual Safety Car interrupted a possible double-podium challenge. Leclerc started fourth and Hamilton fifth at the Circuit of the Americas, despite Ferrari topping all three practice sessions. Vasseur said the team lost ground in the final two laps of qualifying, when both drivers failed to convert the car’s pace into better grid positions. He said Ferrari had needed to execute better and rejected wind as an excuse, noting that conditions affected all drivers. Leclerc moved up to second during the race, finishing behind Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. Hamilton followed Max Verstappen home in fourth, about a second short of challenging the Red Bull driver for third, according to race coverage. Vasseur said Hamilton was closing on Verstappen before a late Virtual Safety Car neutralised the contest. Vasseur assessed that without the interruption Ferrari might have achieved a double podium, but said he could not know whether Hamilton would have finished third or fourth. He also agreed that Leclerc...