Hamilton is "going to give it absolutely everything" to secure podium finish in Texas

F1 Grand Prix, GP United States, Circuit of The Americas

Ferrari's seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is "going to give it absolutely everything" to secure his maiden podium finish with the Scuderia in Texas after a strong qualifying performance on Saturday.

Following a tough Friday in Texas, Ferrari managed to bounce back on Saturday. Starting from P10 on the grid in the Austin F1 Sprint, Charles Leclerc was completely baulked into Turn 1 by a spinning Lando Norris, but he still managed to negotiate that roadblock, and went on to climb up to fourth.

However, the Monegasque made a mistake while he was hunting down his former team-mate Carlos Sainz. The slight error opened the door for his team mate Lewis Hamilton, who sailed past. The Briton tried to chase down Sainz, but he eventually failed to overtake the Spaniard, and finished fourth just ahead of Leclerc.

Having struggled for one-lap pace on Friday, the Scuderia offered much more in the main qualifying. While Leclerc and Hamilton had to fight hard on Friday to secure a spot in the last qualifying segment, both drivers made Q3 with ease. But once there it looked to be going horribly wrong when Hamilton locked up on his first flying run and Leclerc spun.

However, both drivers got their act together in the dying seconds of qualifying and nailed their second laps to bag very decent starting slots with a third place for Leclerc and a fifth position for Hamilton.

Reflecting on his performance on Saturday, the seven-time world champion noted: "It’s been a positive Saturday overall. In the Sprint we showed good pace and without the final Safety Car, we could have pushed for a stronger result.

"Qualifying was also a step forward from yesterday: everything ran more smoothly and that made us more competitive throughout the session.

"Tomorrow will be demanding, but starting from further up the field gives us the chance to fight for important points. Strategy will play a big part, so we’ll go through the details tonight to make sure we’re ready for the Grand Prix.

"Austin is one of my favourite tracks and the fans have been incredible all weekend. I’d love to repay that support with a strong result," added Hamilton.

After battling through a difficult first year with Ferrari, the seven-time World Champion is yet to stand on a Grand Prix podium in his new colours, something which he hopes to change on Sunday.

“It’s the closest I’ve been in God knows how long,” said Hamilton. “It’s taken me forever. It’s not for the lack of trying, but I’m going to give it absolutely everything to try and get there tomorrow.”