Lewis Hamilton has confirmed a costly error by himself and Ferrari earlier in the weekend ruined his chances of a podium at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.

Hamilton topped the final practice session on Saturday, giving optimism to both the team and the driver that a strong result was possible at a circuit where the seven-time world champion has won five times.

Instead, he, qualified down in fifth, and struggled to make an impression early on in the race.

The pace of his SF-26 improved dramatically during the race at COTA, with Ferrari targeting a double podium.

Despite his best efforts, Hamilton finished a second behind third-placed Max Verstappen at the chequered flag, denied a podium.

After the race, the Briton identified a mistake by himself and Ferrari that cost him a shot at the podium: ‘massive understeer.”

“It’s all shoulda, woulda, coulda,” he said to media, including Motorsport Week, when asked if the Virtual Safety Car cost him a chance to attack Verstappen.

“To be honest the VSC wasn’t ideal but I felt like the race was really lost in the first two stints. I lost so much time. I couldn’t turn the car, in low-speed particularly. So Turn 1, 11, 13, 15, just massive understeer. 

“So the cars [ahead] were just pulling away. I was adjusting my settings. By the time we got to the last stint, I think we got closer to the balance but we should have started with that balance from the beginning. So lots of learning, the team did a great job with the pit stops and strategy.”

Setup woes hindering Lewis Hamilton?

Hamilton reflected on lost results in recent races, and has identfied car setup as an area for urgent improvement as F1 enters the closing stages of the 2026 season.

“I’ve lost a lot of points in the last five races and I think it’s really come from set-up. Just not perfecting the set-up and that’s something I’ve really got to get on top of,” he said.  

“That’s really where I’ve lost out. I think performance-wise, I feel like I’ve been driving well. Today, particularly the last stint I felt really good. Just the first two stints, I couldn’t do anything about that. 

“Definitely lots to take away from it. The team did a great job bringing the upgrade. Charles obviously got a second place so we’ve got good performance. 

“Hopefully in Mexico we can improve on where we’ve gone wrong on set-up.”

Hamilton’s deep understanding of where he lost third at COTA could act as the catalyst to help the final part of his second season with Ferrari fall into place.

His setup choices in Mexico will be intriguing, particuarly if they lead to improved pace for his SF-26.