Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was the fastest driver in both Friday practice sessions for the 2026 United States Grand Prix, held at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, according to Formula 1's official session reports.
In first practice (FP1), Leclerc posted a 1:36.052, finishing 0.084 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who had a faster lap of 1:35.862 deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 19. McLaren's Lando Norris was third, 0.245s off the pace.
FP2: Leclerc, Antonelli and Verstappen set the pace
Leclerc remained fastest in the afternoon's FP2 session with a 1:35.291. Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli was second, just 0.042s behind, with Verstappen third at +0.189s. Leclerc's Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton was fourth and Mercedes' George Russell fifth, per Formula 1's report.
Several drivers had lap times deleted for track-limits infringements during the two sessions, including Hamilton, Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar and Antonelli. Stewards investigated Russell for forcing Leclerc off track during FP2 but decided no further action was needed, Formula 1 reported.
How the Spanish drivers fared
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was a notable presence in the midfield in FP1, finishing 12th in 1:37.688, with teammate Lance Stroll close behind in 13th, according to Spanish outlet Motorsport.com.
Williams driver Carlos Sainz had a difficult session, finishing 19th after his team spent much of FP1 running limited laps as part of what Motorsport.com described as extensive testing geared toward the 2027 regulations. Sainz set his first timed lap only nine minutes before the session ended, recording 1:38.846, the outlet reported.
Championship context: Antonelli's path to the title
Antonelli arrives in Austin leading the 2026 drivers' championship with 340 points, 102 ahead of Mercedes teammate Russell on 238, according to Formula 1's official standings. Hamilton is third on 229, Verstappen fourth on 221 and Leclerc fifth on 215.
According to a scenario published by motorsport news site Grandprix.com, Antonelli can mathematically clinch the title this weekend only if three conditions are all met: he wins the race, Russell finishes ninth or lower, and Hamilton finishes fifth or lower. A win would take Antonelli to 365 points, opening a 125-point gap that none of his rivals could close with five races left, the outlet said. If any one of the three conditions is not met, the championship stays open beyond Austin.
2026 F1 drivers' championship standings before the United States GP| Position | Driver | Team | Points |
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| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 340 |
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| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | 238 |
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| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 229 |
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| 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 221 |
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| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 215 |
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What happens next
The Austin weekend follows the traditional three-practice, single-qualifying format rather than a sprint. Free Practice 3 is scheduled for Saturday at 12:30 p.m. local time (CDT), followed by qualifying at 4 p.m. local time the same day, and the Grand Prix on Sunday at 3 p.m. local time, according to Formula 1's own session schedule.
Formal qualifying and race results for the 2026 United States Grand Prix were not yet available from verified sources at the time of writing; this report reflects confirmed Friday practice results and the championship picture heading into Saturday's session.
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