Breaking
Formula 1

Leclerc fastest from Antonelli in US GP practice

Charles Leclerc topped both Friday practice sessions in Austin ahead of Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

By , Sports news desk

· 2 min read

Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc (file photo) Photo: Gabriel Hutchinson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Charles Leclerc led both practice sessions at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, finishing 0.042 seconds ahead of Kimi Antonelli. Max Verstappen was third, while Lewis Hamilton ended fourth.

Key takeaways

  • Charles Leclerc led both Friday practice sessions at the US Grand Prix.
  • Leclerc finished 0.042 seconds ahead of Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
  • Max Verstappen was third fastest, 0.189 seconds behind Leclerc.
  • Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, 0.615 seconds off the pace.
  • Antonelli needs a win and specific results from Russell and Hamilton to take the title this weekend.

Charles Leclerc set the pace in both Friday practice sessions at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. The Ferrari driver led Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli by 0.042 seconds in the second session, completing a Friday double for his team. Max Verstappen finished third, 0.189 seconds back, while Lewis Hamilton was fourth, 0.615 seconds off the leading time.

Friday times and title maths

Leclerc's best lap in the second practice session was 1 minute 35.291 seconds. Antonelli, who is 20 years old, could become Formula 1's youngest ever world champion on Sunday if he wins the race and George Russell finishes below eighth while Hamilton finishes below fourth. Russell was fifth in the other Mercedes. Liam Lawson took sixth for Racing Bulls. Lando Norris was seventh fastest, although he did not set a time on his qualifying simulation run on soft tyres after making a mistake at Turn 16.

It felt good but it is not the gain I have seen or heard about

— Charles Leclerc

Long runs and upgrades

Verstappen appeared fastest on the race-simulation runs later in the session. He was marginally faster than Leclerc on average on soft-compound tyres during long runs. Ferrari have brought an upgrade focused on a new floor this weekend, while McLaren and Red Bull have also introduced updates. Leclerc downplayed expectations, saying the gains were small.

It was very poor. The first sector is particularly poor and very bumpy.

— Charles Leclerc

What happens next

Practice three and qualifying take place on Saturday before the race on Sunday. Antonelli will look to recover from a loose seat issue that forced him to pit early in the session. Leclerc said the balance of his car was good but warned that rivals have more potential to unlock for the rest of the weekend.

Sources

Topics

Spotted an error? Read our corrections policy or use the flag button above. Our editorial standards explain how we report.

Discussion

Sign in or create a free account to join the discussion. Please follow our community guidelines.