Charles Leclerc was fastest in both of Friday’s practice sessions for the United States Grand Prix. In the second session, he set a 35.291 putting his Ferrari four hundredth faster than Kimi Antonelli, who has the chance to win the championship if he wins the race.
Leclerc set his fastest time just before the halfway mark of Friday afternoon’s second practice session on Austin’s demanding Circuit of the Americas, pipping Max Verstappen’s initial benchmark as Antonelli slotted into second. Antonelli then went just under a tenth and a half faster than Max Verstappen.
Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull all introduced fresh revisions to their cars for the opening hour of running at the Circuit of the Americas, which is staging the first leg of the sport’s second of three end-of-season triple headers. Ferrari’s package features changes to their car’s floor, sidepod and diffuser and showed speed on both the medium and soft tyres around the undulating COTA lap
Verstappen, however lost his fastest lap which had put him faster than the Ferrari, but it was deleted for track limits. Lewis Hamilton putting his Ferrari a tenth and a quarter faster than George Russell. Russell surviving a wild snap through the Maggots and Becketts style section as many drivers struggled for pace.
Verstappen was marginally faster than Leclerc on average but the consistency of his pace suggested he was in the best shape, at least on Friday. Hamilton appeared to be struggling for pace compared with Leclerc, whether on short runs or long.
Lando Norris had been third in FP1 but in the second session had to settle for seventh, a second off the outright pace. his unlikely championship defensive over the late summer is all but over realistically, after three tough weekends where Verstappen went onto win the race.
Norris was a hundredth and a half faster than McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, but both McLarens were half a tenth behind Liam Lawson in the second session. As they went a hundredth and a half ahead of Isack Hadjar, while Ollie Bearman was a tenth further behind as the Haas driver completed the top ten.
Gabriel Bortoleto missed out on the top ten by three tenths as the Brazilian was eight thousandths faster than Pierre Gasly. Arvid Lindblad had been ninth in FP1, but slipped to thirteenth in the second session. But the Englishman has a five-place grid penalty for a new sixth internal combustion engine in his car.
Esteban Ocon was just over aa tenth and a half faster than franco Colapinto, while the two Aston Martins were just under a tenth behind. Fernando Alonso putting himself three and a half hundredths faster than teammate Lance Stroll. Nico Hulkenberg was a tenth and a half further behind.
The Cadillacs and Williams completing the field the latter using the day to test new parts for 2027, Valtteri Bottas a quarter of a tenth ahead of Carlos Sainz with there respective teammates Sergio Perez and Alex Albon behind.
