Austin, Leclerc on the podium thanks to a “taboo” setting

At the F1 United States Grand Prix in Austin, Ferrari returned to the lowest step of the podium with Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque, with a clever strategy, red tires at the start and yellows around lap 20, managed to hold off his rivals.

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However, it was impossible for the SF25 to keep Lando Norris’s McLaren behind until the end. The Brit finished second behind Max Verstappen, who continues to recover ground in the constructors’ championship. Over the weekend, Verstappen gained 23 points on Oscar Piastri, moving from -63 to -40, and 15 points on Norris, making the championship fight with 5 races to go increasingly tight.

Charles Leclerc, self made F1 man

The real smile, however, was on Charles Leclerc’s face, as the podium brought his sixth top-three finish of 2025. This performance was shaped already during Saturday’s Sprint race. The Ferrari driver revealed he found the key thanks to a new steering wheel setting.

Leclerc experimented with several adjustments on his wheel without overhauling the car. The crucial tweak, a setting Ferrari usually does not modify, greatly improved his feeling with the SF25. This allowed him to perform better in both the Sprint and the main race. This configuration will be retained for the upcoming races, starting with Mexico next weekend.

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Steering wheel setting and wind, the allies behind Ferrari’s Austin performance

On Saturday, Ferrari might have benefited from another factor: the wind that picked up during the Sprint. Leclerc used it to switch wheel settings, finding better comfort and control for Sunday’s race, which led him to the podium. This shows that sometimes, even conditions that seem suboptimal at first can lead to solutions that advance the team.

Kudos to Charles, and also to Lewis Hamilton, who helps Mercedes recover points in the constructors’ championship, currently in P2.