F1 United States GP: Charles Leclerc edges out Max Verstappen to secure the fastest time in FP1
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc narrowly edged out Red Bull's Max Verstappen to secure the fastest time during the initial practice session at Formula 1's United States Grand Prix in Austin.
Leclerc clocked in just shy of a tenth quicker than Verstappen in an upgraded Ferrari, aiming to thwart the Dutch driver and his high-performing Red Bull squad from achieving a third consecutive race victory.
On a sweltering Circuit of the Americas, Ferrari wasted no time as it tested its latest, believed to be final, wave of aerodynamic upgrades for 2026. This update package for Texas includes modifications to the floor, bargeboard, sidepod, and diffuser.
Despite the impressive specifications, the team was eager to temper expectations, labeling it a modest enhancement. Regardless, both Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton quickly found their pace early in the session on the undulating 5.5km track, with Leclerc's 1m36.61s on medium tyres only 0.074s shy of Hamilton's initial best.
McLaren's Lando Norris secured third place ahead of the Mercedes pair of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, who opted for the slower hard compound for their opening laps, losing four and five tenths respectively.
Concerns regarding balance issues echoed throughout COTA, a notoriously challenging circuit due to its diverse layout and uneven surface.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Shortly after the halfway point, Leclerc improved his previous time by seven tenths when he transitioned to the softest tyre compound. Addressing early balance and steering rack issues, Verstappen climbed the leaderboard, finishing just 0.084s behind Leclerc's 1m36.052s lap.
Verstappen's Red Bull, which featured an upgraded front wing, demonstrated strong performance through COTA's first sector and its rapid, flowing Esses. A lap that could have seen the four-time world champion surpass Leclerc was invalidated due to track limits at the penultimate corner.
After experiencing a few bouts of oversteer, Norris placed third, 0.245s off the pace, ahead of Russell, as the top four teams appeared closely matched based on the limited data from FP1.
World champion-elect Antonelli took fifth, followed by Hamilton and Piastri. Gabriel Bortoleto led the midfield with his Audi, finishing eighth and just under a second behind the leaders, slightly ahead of Arvid Lindblad in the Racing Bulls car, which has been consistently leading the race for fifth in the constructors' standings.
Liam Lawson managed to fend off Haas driver Oliver Bearman to complete the top 10, while Aston Martin showed signs of progress with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finishing 12th and 13th, respectively. This placed them ahead of Isack Hadjar in the second Red Bull, who lost his single-lap run due to exceeding track limits.
FP1 featured a rookie participant in Cadillac's Colton Herta, who stepped into Sergio Perez's car on home turf. The former IndyCar star was granted extra practice sessions on Friday to secure the final few FIA superlicence points, compensating for a shortened FP1 session in Italy.
Williams driver Alex Albon was the only competitor not to log a competitive lap, as his team chose to conduct aerodynamic testing to support their 2027 development.
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