Hamilton blames Ferrari setup for lost Austin podium chance

Lewis Hamilton said a setup problem left his Ferrari with severe understeer through the first two stints of the United States Grand Prix, costing him time as he finished fourth, one second behind Max Verstappen in the fight for third. Hamilton said the car struggled to turn, particularly in slow corners, while Charles Leclerc, his Ferrari teammate, went on to finish second. Hamilton said he began adjusting the car’s settings during the race, but found a better balance only in the final stint, after much of the gap to the leaders had opened. The seven-time world champion said he believed the race had been lost earlier than the late virtual safety car that curtailed the remaining chance to challenge Verstappen. He described the opening two stints as the decisive period, saying the cars ahead pulled away while he dealt with understeer. His view that a different setup from the start would have put him in contention for a podium is his assessment, rather than an established race outcome. Hamilton also pointed to a subtle setup difference between his car and Leclerc’s, mostly involving front-wing flap and the amount of wing. He said Ferrari added front-wing adjustment at his pit...