USA GP – Prime pace per lap vs high speeds in qualifying and Ferrari’s aerodynamic trade-offs at Austin
United States Grand Prix – Prime Pace Evaluation
At the 2025 United States Grand Prix, telemetry information provided an fascinating look into how high speeds advanced between qualifying and the race. Whereas qualifying high speeds usually replicate every automobile’s aerodynamic effectivity and drag degree underneath comparable circumstances, race speeds are way more dynamic — influenced by slipstream results, DRS availability, and race conditions akin to overtakes or defensive driving.
💡 In an F1 race, drag alone doesn’t decide the best high pace — the power of the slipstream does!
Prime Speeds in Qualifying
| Driver | Group | Prime Pace (km/h) |
|---|---|---|
| Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 329 |
| Carlos Sainz | Williams | 328 |
| Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber | 327 |
| Liam Lawson | RB | 325 |
| Yuki Tsunoda | RB | 325 |
| Alexander Albon | Williams | 325 |
| Esteban Ocon | Haas | 324 |
| Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 324 |
| Max Verstappen | Pink Bull | 324 |
| Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 324 |
| Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 324 |
| Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 323 |
| Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 323 |
| Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | 323 |
| George Russell | Mercedes | 323 |
| Oliver Bearman | Haas | 323 |
| Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 322 |
| Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 322 |
| Lando Norris | McLaren | 321 |
In qualifying, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton each recorded 324 and 323 km/h respectively — inserting Ferrari within the mid-range of the entice speeds. This means that the Scuderia opted for a barely increased downforce setup in comparison with low-drag runners like Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli or Williams’ Carlos Sainz, who topped the charts at 329 and 328 km/h.
Race Prime Speeds – 15 Quickest Laps Recorded
| Driver | Prime Speeds (km/h) | Common (km/h) |
|---|---|---|
| Lance Stroll | 342, 336, 334, 333, 331, 331, 330, 329, 328, 327, 327, 327, 326, 326, 331 | 331 |
| Colapinto | 339, 333, 328, 327, 326, 315, 315, 314, 314, 314, 312, 311, 311, 311, 314 | 317 |
| Hülkenberg | 338, 333, 330, 326, 324, 314, 314, 314, 314, 313, 312, 312, 312, 311, 314 | 317 |
| Ocon | 338, 331, 330, 328, 327, 325, 322, 318, 316, 315, 315, 314, 314, 313, 317 | 318 |
| Albon | 337, 336, 335, 334, 334, 332, 332, 329, 327, 324, 322, 319, 318, 317, 317 | 323 |
| Lawson | 336, 335, 334, 333, 332, 330, 329, 329, 328, 327, 325, 323, 319, 318, 316 | 324 |
| Antonelli | 336, 335, 334, 333, 332, 331, 330, 328, 325, 323, 320, 318, 316, 315, 314 | 322 |
| Norris | 334, 333, 331, 330, 330, 329, 329, 328, 329, 329, 329, 328, 326, 325, 325 | 328 |
| Bortoleto | 334, 331, 331, 331, 330, 329, 329, 329, 329, 329, 329, 328, 327, 326, 324 | 328 |
| Bearman | 335, 334, 332, 328, 324, 320, 320, 315, 315, 315, 315, 314, 314, 314, 315 | 319 |
| Tsunoda | 334, 332, 320, 313, 313, 311, 311, 311, 311, 311, 311, 310, 310, 310, 310 | 315 |
| Hadjar | 333, 332, 332, 331, 326, 326, 326, 319, 317, 317, 315, 315, 315, 315, 315 | 320 |
| Piastri | 331, 329, 328, 326, 326, 326, 324, 317, 314, 312, 311, 311, 311, 310, 309 | 317 |
| Hamilton | 331, 329, 328, 326, 326, 324, 315, 314, 313, 312, 312, 312, 312, 311, 311 | 317 |
| Leclerc | 331, 331, 329, 315, 314, 313, 312, 312, 312, 312, 312, 312, 311, 311, 311 | 316 |
| Alonso | 330, 326, 323, 317, 317, 316, 312, 312, 311, 311, 311, 310, 310, 310, 310 | 315 |
| Gasly | 329, 327, 324, 320, 319, 317, 316, 311, 311, 311, 311, 311, 310, 310, 308 | 315 |
| Verstappen | 329, 312, 311, 311, 311, 311, 312, 312, 312, 312, 312, 311, 311, 311, 311 | 314 |
| Russell | 326, 326, 315, 313, 313, 313, 312, 312, 312, 312, 312, 311, 311, 311, 314 | 314 |
Ferrari evaluation – contrasting developments for Leclerc and Hamilton
For Ferrari, the info paints a telling image of the SF-25’s aerodynamic philosophy. Lewis Hamilton averaged 317 km/h within the race, whereas Charles Leclerc averaged barely much less at 316 km/h — each exhibiting a modest improve in comparison with their qualifying entice speeds (323 and 324 km/h). This means that Ferrari’s setup leaned in the direction of increased downforce, prioritizing cornering stability and tyre life over uncooked straight-line tempo.
Whereas this method restricted their one-lap potential on the lengthy again straight at Austin, it offered better consistency throughout the race. Hamilton particularly benefited from DRS alternatives and environment friendly energy supply from the hybrid system, sustaining a aggressive race tempo even in site visitors.
Nonetheless, when evaluating with McLaren’s Lando Norris — who had the bottom high pace in qualifying (321 km/h) however the highest common race pace (328 km/h) — Ferrari’s straight-line effectivity hole turns into obvious. This underlines that whereas McLaren managed to offset drag by means of slipstream and race circumstances, Ferrari’s increased drag degree restricted their overtaking potential in open-air runs.
Key insights
- 🟠 Lando Norris: Lowest high pace in qualifying, but the best common in race – a transparent case of slipstream benefit.
- 🟢 Lance Stroll: Reached 342 km/h in race, a +19 km/h delta in comparison with qualifying, regardless of rating solely twelfth in pace traps.
- 🔴 Ferrari (Hamilton & Leclerc): Constant however not excellent in high pace, confirming a concentrate on medium–excessive downforce setup geared toward tyre longevity and traction.
In the end, this comparability between qualifying and race high speeds reveals that Ferrari’s setup on the Circuit of the Americas was extra efficiency-oriented relatively than drag-minimised. Whereas this helped each Hamilton and Leclerc keep tyre efficiency throughout stints, it left them weak on the straights in opposition to rivals benefiting from stronger slipstream or DRS results.
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