Hamilton tops final practice after Leclerc lap deletion

Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in final practice for the United States Grand Prix at Austin on Saturday, leading Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.168 seconds after a quicker lap by Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc was deleted for exceeding track limits. Hamilton’s best lap was 1 minute 34.893 seconds. Leclerc was classified third, 0.234 seconds behind Hamilton, after his deleted effort had been faster. The timing left Ferrari with the top position in all three practice sessions, as Leclerc had led both sessions on Friday. Track-limit breaches affected several drivers during the session. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and McLaren’s Lando Norris also had lap times deleted, according to the reports. Antonelli finished fourth in the final classification, ahead of teammate George Russell. Oscar Piastri was sixth for McLaren, with Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg seventh and Norris eighth. Hamilton had trailed Leclerc on Friday. His final-practice result followed adjustments to the car’s setup, though practice times do not determine the starting order. Ferrari’s pace offered an encouraging sign ahead of qualifying, but the session alone did not establish which team would be fastest when grid...