Why did Ferrari's speed disappear again?

Ferrari topped all three practice sessions in Austin. This weekend, however, that form did not carry over to the timesheets. The major update the team brought for this race had also raised hopes inside the squad. But the expected picture did not appear in qualifying.

Charles Leclerc finished second behind McLaren's Lando Norris in the first elimination round. Norris only secured that result with a second lap. Leclerc moved back to the front in the second round. However, Ferrari's struggles continued at the start of the third round. Leclerc settled into fourth and Hamilton into sixth. Hamilton gained one place on his final lap to take fifth, while Leclerc stayed fourth. As a result, the two Ferraris will start behind the two Red Bulls and Kimi Antonelli, who took pole for Mercedes.

Team principal Frederic Vasseur assessed the result with mixed feelings. He said the potential was there all weekend and that good pace had been found in the free practice sessions. He also noted that the pole battle went down to the final corners.

After dropping to fifth, Hamilton expressed his surprise over the team radio. He said he could not understand where the gap had come from on his final lap. He also said the car's handling had been consistent across all three sessions. He believes Ferrari's lack of straight-line speed played a part in rivals getting ahead once again. He said both drivers still have a chance to be at the front in the 56-lap race on Sunday.