Leclerc Sweeps Friday Practice at 2026 U.S. Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc led both Friday practice sessions for the 2026 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, ending FP2 only 0.042 seconds ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli. The Ferrari driver’s clean sweep makes him the early benchmark in Austin, but fuel loads, tire programs and Saturday track conditions still limit how much can be read into the times.

Leclerc opened the weekend with a 1-minute, 36.052-second lap in FP1, then lowered the mark to 1:35.291 in FP2. The second session produced a tighter order at the front: Antonelli was second for Mercedes, Max Verstappen third for Red Bull, and Lewis Hamilton fourth in the other Ferrari.

The result gives Ferrari a strong Friday headline ahead of Saturday’s final practice and qualifying. It does not award points or establish the final grid. Teams run different fuel quantities and test different setup changes during practice, so the raw order is evidence of pace—not a reliable race prediction.

Friday’s leading times

• FP1: Leclerc, 1:36.052, 26 laps
• FP2: Leclerc, 1:35.291, 30 laps
• FP2 second: Kimi Antonelli, 0.042 seconds behind
• FP2 third: Max Verstappen, 0.189 seconds behind
• FP2 fourth: Lewis Hamilton, 0.615 seconds behind
• FP2 fifth: George Russell, 0.744 seconds behind

The official Formula 1 FP2 classification shows Leclerc, Antonelli and Verstappen covered by less than two-tenths. Hamilton’s fourth place put both Ferraris in the top four, while Mercedes also placed both cars in the top five.

Liam Lawson was sixth for Racing Bulls. McLaren’s Lando Norris finished seventh, 1.082 seconds off Leclerc, after placing third in FP1. A low Friday position can reflect an interrupted lap, a conservative engine setting, a different fuel load or a focus on long-run work, so Norris’s gap should not be treated as a firm measure of McLaren’s qualifying ceiling.

Leclerc improved as the track evolved

Leclerc’s FP2 time was 0.761 seconds quicker than his FP1 best. That does not mean the Ferrari simply found eight-tenths through setup changes. Circuit of the Americas gains grip as cars lay rubber on the racing line, and the later session usually brings more representative qualifying simulations.

In Formula 1’s FP1 report, Leclerc led Verstappen by 0.084 seconds and Norris by 0.245. Verstappen remained close in FP2, but Antonelli moved between the Ferrari and Red Bull. That shift underlines why a single session can be misleading.

Leclerc also completed 56 laps across the two sessions, giving Ferrari a useful volume of setup and tire data. Antonelli recorded 25 laps in FP2, Verstappen 24, Hamilton 26 and Russell 27.

What Friday does—and does not—tell us

The most defensible conclusion is that Ferrari began the Austin weekend competitively over one lap. Leclerc led two sessions with different track conditions, and Hamilton’s fourth place in FP2 provided a second reference point for the SF-26.

Several important questions remain unanswered. Practice timing does not reveal each car’s exact fuel load, power-unit mode or tire condition. Long-run consistency and degradation are also more important for Sunday than one headline lap. COTA’s high-speed direction changes in the first sector, heavy braking zones and long rear straight can reward different setup compromises.

Qualifying will therefore be the first direct comparison with every driver pursuing the same objective. Ferrari’s Friday advantage could persist, narrow or disappear as teams refine ride height, aerodynamic balance and tire preparation overnight.

A busy COTA weekend

The Formula 1 weekend shares the Austin schedule with Porsche Carrera Cup North America. Tyler Maxson arrived with a 27-point Carrera Cup lead entering that series’ title finale. The Grand Prix also marks Honda’s 500th Formula 1 race by the company’s official count.

According to the official event schedule, Formula 1’s third practice begins Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Central time, followed by qualifying at 4 p.m. The 2026 United States Grand Prix starts Sunday at 3 p.m. Central.

What to watch Saturday

The clearest indicators will be qualifying simulations in FP3, consistency through COTA’s fast first sector and whether Ferrari can keep Antonelli and Verstappen behind over a full lap. McLaren’s response after Norris’s seventh-place FP2 result is another key question.

For now, Leclerc owns Friday’s fastest lap and the most consistent headline. Saturday will determine whether that pace converts into a front-row start.

Featured image: Charles Leclerc driving the 2026 Ferrari SF-26 during practice at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix. Archive/illustrative image from the same season and car, not the Austin session. Photo by Yu Chu Chin via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.