Charles Leclerc Tops US GP Practice as Kimi Antonelli Seeks Title
- Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc set the pace during both practice sessions for the United States Grand Prix on Oct.
- Leclerc also dominated the morning session on the 5.513-kilometer track with a lap of 1:36.052.
- Antonelli faced an interrupted start to his afternoon running as mechanics worked to fix an unstable seating position in his Mercedes.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc set the pace during both practice sessions for the United States Grand Prix on Oct. 24, 2026, leading the field at the Circuit of the Americas while championship leader Kimi Antonelli recovered from a loose seat to finish close behind, sport.orf.at reported. Leclerc posted a benchmark lap of 1:35.291 in the second afternoon session, edging out Mercedes driver Antonelli by just 0.042 seconds.
Leclerc Tops Both Practice Runs in Austin
Leclerc also dominated the morning session on the 5.513-kilometer track with a lap of 1:36.052. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished second in the opening practice with a 0.084-second deficit and placed third in the second session, trailing Leclerc by 0.189 seconds.
🚨| Leclerc Dominates Friday at United States GP as Antonelli Closes In:— Charles Leclerc showcased his prowess at the United States Grand Prix by topping both practice sessions on Friday. Speaking to media, Leclerc expressed his satisfaction with the day's performance:“I’m… pic.twitter.com/6Mc3vjYmMf”
Antonelli faced an interrupted start to his afternoon running as mechanics worked to fix an unstable seating position in his Mercedes. The Italian rookie spent the opening minutes of the second session watching from the garage before securing second place on the timesheets once he joined the track.
Verstappen Criticizes Circuit Bumps
Despite showing competitive pace with second and third-place finishes across the two Friday sessions, Verstappen renewed his complaints about the track surface at the Austin venue. It is one of the most beautiful routes and one of the best places to go. But the bumps in the road are unacceptable.
Verstappen said regarding the layout and the heavy bumps.
Behind the top three, Lewis Hamilton placed fourth for Ferrari in the afternoon with a time of 1:35.906, while Mercedes driver George Russell finished fifth. Russell sits second in the overall drivers’ standings heading into the weekend.
Title Stakes for Antonelli in Texas
Antonelli enters the race weekend with his first mathematical opportunity to secure the world championship. To claim the title early and surpass Sebastian Vettel as the youngest champion in Formula 1 history, Antonelli needs to win Sunday’s grand prix while his nearest championship rivals drop points.
Vettel was 23 years old when he won his first of four titles in 2010. For Antonelli to clinch the crown in Texas, teammate George Russell cannot finish higher than ninth place, and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton cannot finish above fifth.
For me, it has to be a perfect weekend,
Antonelli stated before the track sessions opened, acknowledging that favorable results from his competitors remain an uphill task. And the others have to achieve a bad result, which is rather unlikely.
Qualifying Schedule and Next Steps
The qualifying session to set the grid for Sunday’s main race takes place on Oct. 25, 2026, at 23:00 Central European Summer Time. Sunday’s Grand Prix of the USA is scheduled for 21:00 MEZ.
Should the championship battle remain undecided in Austin, the series moves directly to Mexico City for the next round on Nov. 1, 2026.