Hamilton's Ferrari Qualifying Concerns Echoed by Steiner

Lewis Hamilton has raised questions about Ferrari's rivals after the United States Grand Prix, suspecting they might hold back in practice sessions before stepping up their game in qualifying. This sentiment was echoed by former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner.

Despite Ferrari's strong showing in practice, where Hamilton topped the final session with a 1:34.893, both Charles Leclerc and Hamilton found themselves behind in Q3. Kimi Antonelli snatched pole with a 1:34.035, leaving Leclerc and Hamilton trailing. "These guys must be turning up for that last Q3 because where did that time go?" Hamilton pondered aloud.

Telemetry analysis by PlanetF1's Uros Radovanovic showed that Antonelli's top speed increased by 4 km/h between FP3 and Q3. Hamilton told Sky Sports that Ferrari’s competitors seemed to find an extra gear in Q3, underlining a power deficit to Red Bull and Mercedes. "I don’t know what it is," he admitted, acknowledging the car's steady performance but the apparent leap others made.

Steiner, speaking on the Chequered Flag podcast, agreed with Hamilton’s suspicion. While stopping short of calling it outright sandbagging, he suggested that other teams might be holding something back during practice. "The Ferrari engine cars in the free practices seem to be always faster than they end up being in qualifying," he noted. While Ferrari performed well in the race, with Leclerc finishing second, the qualifying performance didn’t quite match the practice expectations.

1996 world champion Damon Hill also chimed in, questioning Ferrari's strategy of showing its hand too early. Hill suggested that holding back in practice could prevent raised expectations and the subsequent disappointment if qualifying doesn't meet those high hopes. "Why show your hand too early?" he asked, pointing out that managing expectations could allow for a greater surprise during the race.

While Ferrari's race pace was commendable, the practice-to-qualifying disparity continues to be a talking point. Hamilton and Steiner's observations suggest a game of cat and mouse, with some teams possibly playing their cards closer to their chests until it counts.