F1 United States GP: Perez leads FP3, Hamilton and Verstappen fastest laps deleted
Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has set the fastest time in third free practice for the US Formula 1 Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen saw their fastest laps deleted.

In Saturday's FP3 session title rivals Hamilton and Verstappen both showed they still had plenty of pace in hand for qualifying but track limits excursions on their final timed lap meant that pace didn't translate into a valid laptime.
Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel was the first driver to take to a sunny Circuit of the Americas for the final hour of practice in what was a quiet early stage of the session.
After some lone install laps for Vettel and a leisurely timed lap by Alpine's Fernando Alonso the action finally picked up after 10 minutes when world champion Hamilton joined the fray, soon joined by most of his competitors.
In his Mercedes W12 Hamilton clocked a 1m35.814s on his first timed lap to take a provisional lead, using Pirelli's soft tyre that would be used by the entire field.
Hamilton's time was soon improved upon by Red Bull's Perez, who dipped 0.181s below the Briton's benchmark by setting a 1m35.633s.

Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari SF21
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
On his second set of softs Hamilton reclaimed the lead with a 1m35.571s effort, while teammate Valtteri Bottas' first effort was scrubbed for track limits.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc slotted in behind Perez in third, ahead of teammate Sainz.
The ante was upped when championship leader Verstappen joined the track. After not getting a fast lap in during Friday's FP2, Verstappen immediately took over the lead, the Red Bull driver taking over three tenths out of Hamilton's previous benchmark to go top with a 1m35.207s after 25 minutes.
His teammate Perez joined him up front by setting a lap time that was just 0.001s slower, handing Red Bull an early 1-2.
Shortly after the halfway mark Verstappen improved again to set a 1m34.912s, just dipping below Perez' table-topping FP2 lap.
Verstappen's pace prompted a response from Mercedes. With 20 minutes left to run Bottas took second just 0.076s behind the Dutchman by virtue of a purple second sector, which includes COTA's long straight on which Mercedes can flex its top speed muscle.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B
Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images
But soon after Sainz set the fastest time for Ferrari, his 1m34.805s a tenth quicker than Verstappen, which suggested that F1's two top teams still had some pace left in the bank.
That was modestly demonstrated by Perez, who took the lead with a 1m34.701s while teammate Verstappen was delayed by a precautionary rear wing change.
With his new wing Verstappen clocked a 1m34.383s, but his time was deleted for exceeding track limits in the penultimate corner.
Hamilton was next to go top for mere seconds as his 1m34.458s effort was too deleted by the stewards due to leaving the track at Turn 9, leaving Perez's top spot intact until the finish.
Sainz finished the session in second, followed by Verstappen, McLaren's Lando Norris and Bottas, while Hamilton's scrubbed lap meant he finished down in sixth.
Daniel Ricciardo was seventh in the second McLaren ahead of AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was ninth after reporting struggles with his rear tyres, with Alpine's Esteban Ocon rounding out the top 10, which was covered by one second.
Sebastian Vettel took 11th for Aston Martin followed by the first Williams of George Russell.
Kimi Raikkonen was 13th for Alfa Romeo, narrowly ahead of Nicholas Latifi in the second Williams.
Alfa Romeo's Antonio Giovinazzi was 15th followed by the second Aston of Lance Stroll.
Fernando Alonso took 17th after undergoing an engine change in his Alpine, which will relegate him to the back of the grid.
In the second AlphaTauri Yuki Tsunoda was only 18th, with Haas duo Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin propping up the timesheets.
Cla | Driver | Laps | Time | Gap | km/h |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | |
13 | 1'34.701 | 209.573 | |
2 | |
16 | 1'34.805 | 0.104 | 209.343 |
3 | |
13 | 1'34.912 | 0.211 | 209.107 |
4 | |
13 | 1'34.945 | 0.244 | 209.034 |
5 | |
15 | 1'34.988 | 0.287 | 208.940 |
6 | |
16 | 1'35.219 | 0.518 | 208.433 |
7 | |
11 | 1'35.345 | 0.644 | 208.157 |
8 | |
17 | 1'35.398 | 0.697 | 208.042 |
9 | |
17 | 1'35.688 | 0.987 | 207.411 |
10 | |
10 | 1'35.711 | 1.010 | 207.361 |
View full results |
Related video

Alonso set for grid penalty at COTA after F1 engine change
F1 United States GP: Verstappen beats Hamilton to pole position

Latest news
Las Vegas approves plan to shut Strip for F1 race until 2032
Officials in Las Vegas have approved a plan to shut the Strip for the Formula 1 grand prix for the next 10 years as they eye a “lifetime in partnership.”
Porsche boss “as surprised as anyone” over Gulf-Williams F1 social media frenzy
Porsche’s head of motorsport Thomas Laudenbach found it “funny” that streamlining its Instagram channels caused a Formula 1 social media speculation frenzy last month.
Why Albon won't be "throwing around laptops" to gain a 2023 F1 edge
OPINION: At the Williams 2023 Formula 1 season launch, Alex Albon’s easy-going nature was again a point of focus. But does being “too nice” really matter in modern F1? Albon’s own expressions put that in an intriguing new light
Why Alfa Romeo has kept its blade roll hoop on 2023 F1 car
The Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team has retained its unique blade roll hoop for the C43 but designed it to withstand load tests that the FIA will introduce in 2024.
Why Albon won't be "throwing around laptops" to gain a 2023 F1 edge
OPINION: At the Williams 2023 Formula 1 season launch, Alex Albon’s easy-going nature was again a point of focus. But does being “too nice” really matter in modern F1? Albon’s own expressions put that in an intriguing new light
How the last Sauber-built Alfa offers F1 2023 evolution clues
Alfa Romeo has become the first Formula 1 team to reveal a new car for 2023, in addition to a fresh livery. This offered a first look at some of the understated changes produced by the revised regulations, along with points of convergence in the second year of the ground effect rules
The pioneering F1 car that preceded Lotus’s terminal decline
In the hands of Ayrton Senna the actively suspended 99T would be the last F1 race-winning Lotus but, as STUART CODLING reveals, it was a complicated machine that caused more problems than it solved
How Tyrrell became a racing Rubik’s cube as it faded out of F1
Formula 1’s transformation into a global sport meant the gradual extinction for a small team determined to stay true to its low-budget roots. But Tyrrell would eventually be reborn as a world-beating outfit again, explains MAURICE HAMILTON, albeit in different colours…
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.