Leclerc leads Verstappen in Austin as Ferrari start strongly

Charles Leclerc gave Ferrari an early lift at the United States Grand Prix, leading the opening practice session at the Circuit of the Americas with a 1:36.052 lap. Max Verstappen finished second, less than a tenth behind, while Lando Norris was the quickest of the McLaren drivers in third.

Verstappen arrived in Austin after consecutive victories in Malaysia and Singapore, but could not dislodge Leclerc from the top of the timesheets in FP1. The session offered an initial competitive marker ahead of the 18th round of the 2026 campaign, though drivers spent much of it testing the limits of the circuit.

Track limits disrupted the first session

Drivers repeatedly ran beyond the white lines at COTA, leading to numerous lap times being deleted as they pushed for pace. That made the opening practice a demanding exercise in finding the edge without exceeding it.

Behind the top three, George Russell placed fourth for Mercedes, ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli. The Italian entered the weekend with a chance to secure his first championship.

Lewis Hamilton was sixth in the second Ferrari, more than half a second slower than Leclerc. Oscar Piastri followed in seventh for McLaren, with Gabriel Bortoleto eighth after a positive first outing of the weekend for Audi.

Herta makes his rookie appearance in Austin

Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson completed the top ten for Racing Bulls. The pair will be aiming to add points as the team seeks to consolidate fifth in the constructors’ championship.

Colton Herta was the only rookie to take part in the session, driving Sergio Perez’s Cadillac. He finished 21st, nine-tenths behind Valtteri Bottas. Alex Albon was behind him, with the Williams driver setting his only lap time at the end of a test-focused session.

Leclerc’s fastest time provides Ferrari with an encouraging start, while Verstappen’s narrow deficit leaves the leading fight finely poised after one session. For more on the wider Leclerc-Ferrari story, see our reports on his response to negativity after the British Grand Prix and Ferrari’s concerns over his mindset.