Lewis Hamilton matched his best performance of the Formula 1 season at Sunday's US Grand Prix staged in Austin, securing a fourth-place finish at the Circuit of the Americas. The seven-time world champion began the race in fifth position, but managed to overtake ex-Mercedes team-mate George Russell to bag 12 points.

This result marks the fourth occasion that the 40-year-old has finished in the top four since his move to Ferrari. However, his quest for a maiden podium finish with the legendary Italian team continues, with his victory in the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix in March being his only top three finish of any kind so far.

While Hamilton didn't make it to the podium in Austin, his team-mate Charles Leclerc clinched third place, having been racing in second place, before being surpassed late on by Mclaren's Lando Norris. Leclerc has now achieved six podium finishes this term - including a second-place finish during his home race of Monaco and five third-place finishes.

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Ferrari bounced back impressively at the US Grand Prix - after Hamilton and Leclerc had a tough time in sprint qualifying, ending up eighth and tenth respectively. But following a first-lap crash that forced both Mclarens to retire, they finished in fourth and fifth.

Leclerc then qualified in third for the actual Grand Prix, with Hamilton starting in fifth before in turn securing his fourth-place finish. However, despite a better finish to the weekend for both drivers, Hamilton now faces the prospect of an unwelcome career first - as with only five races left in the season, he's at risk of having his least successful season in Formula 1.

The seven-time world champion has never returned fewer than five podium finishes in a season, and can now only match his career-worst record following the US Grand Prix. Hamilton boasts more wins and podium finishes than any other drive in the history of the sport, with 105 wins and 202 podiums since his debut season in F1 in 2007, but has found it challenging to break into the top three in recent years.

Despite winning at least one race in each of his first 15 seasons in the sport, he didn't secure any victories in both 2022 and 2023 before taking the top spot in last year's British GP. He also clinched victory in the Belgian GP after Russell was disqualified post-race in July 2024, but a second-place finish in Las Vegas - last November - remains his only podium finish since his most recent win.

Hamilton managed to make it to the podium five times in 2024, matching his previous career-worst records in both 2009 and 2013. In reality, the 40-year-old seems unlikely to match that number given Max Verstappen's recent resurgence in the Red Bull since the summer as he aims to chase down Norris and Oscar Piastri in the Mclarens in his quest for a fifth consecutive drivers championship.

Consequently, after losing his remarkable record of wins each season in 2022, he now also faces the possibility of ending a season without even securing a podium finish for the first time in his career, or at least his smallest tally of top three finishes.

The 2025 Formula 1 season carries on next weekend in Mexico, before heading to Brazil, Las Vega and Qatar in November, and finally wrapping up in Abu Dhabi on 7 December.