Charles Leclerc isn’t messing around in Austin, nope, not one bit. The Ferrari ace just absolutely shredded Friday practice at the United States Grand Prix, topping both sessions and putting everyone on notice. He clocked the fastest time, a blistering 0.042 seconds ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, and that tiny gap means *everything* as we head into a weekend where Antonelli has a mathematical chance to clinch his first world title. Talk about high stakes on Friday!
Antonelli Chasing History While Leclerc Sets the Pace
So, Leclerc was flying, leading both practice runs. That’s serious form to kick off the weekend. But while Leclerc is showing Ferrari’s pace, all eyes are really on Kimi Antonelli. This kid, man, he could tie up his first world title in Austin! Imagine that. For it to happen, he needs to win the race, sure, but also needs George Russell to finish below eighth and Lewis Hamilton to be outside the top four. That’s a tall order, but the fact it’s even on the table makes this weekend electric. Max Verstappen, for Red Bull, was third fastest, 0.189 seconds behind Leclerc, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in fourth, though he was a bit off the pace at 0.615 seconds back. Mercedes driver George Russell rounded out the top five, just ahead of Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson. McLaren’s Lando Norris, whose team rolled out the first of three planned upgrades, was seventh. He had a moment though, making a mistake at Turn 16 on his qualifying simulation run on soft tires, so we didn’t get to see his full pace there. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was eighth, then Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Haas driver Oliver Bearman.
Upgrade Questions and Hamilton’s Take
It’s not just about raw pace, though. The teams are tweaking their machines with upgrades, and there are some real head-scratchers. Mercedes, for example, has reverted both their cars to the upgraded specification they introduced two races ago in Malaysia. And get this: there are still questions over its actual performance. The team thinks the upgrade has more in it, but they just haven’t figured out the right setup to get the most from it yet. They’re hoping a full, normal weekend with three practice sessions gives them enough time to hone it in. Ferrari also has an upgrade here, a new floor, but both Leclerc and Hamilton were playing it cool, downplaying its potential impact. Hamilton straight up said, “We have a very, very small upgrade this weekend. It’s less than a tenth. It’s like half a tenth.” He added, “So, I don’t think that propels us forward enough to necessarily challenge that deficit. But maybe the track suits our car, and maybe they’ll have a one-off weekend. Maybe Mercedes will have an off weekend again, and we’ll be right there to take it.” That’s classic Hamilton, keeping expectations low but always ready to pounce if an opportunity pops up.
The US Grand Prix runs from October 23-25. With Antonelli’s title hopes on the line and teams still wrestling with their upgrades, this weekend in Austin is shaping up to be absolutely wild. You don’t want to miss what happens next!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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