Source: Official Team Post via X
Leclerc Tops FP1 at United States Grand Prix 2026, Edges Out Verstappen
Charles Leclerc set the pace in the first practice session at the Circuit of The Americas, leading Max Verstappen by a narrow margin. The session marked a strong start for Ferrari and Red Bull as the weekend unfolded.
Max Verstappen entered the United States Grand Prix following consecutive wins, and as FP1 unfolded at the Circuit of The Americas, it was Charles Leclerc who emerged fastest for Ferrari. Leclerc managed to stay just ahead of Verstappen, who continued his strong form by securing the second spot on the timesheets.
Lando Norris put McLaren in the spotlight by finishing third, trailing Leclerc but ahead of Mercedes duo George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli, aiming to clinch his first championship this weekend, showed promising pace.
Sixth place was claimed by Lewis Hamilton for Ferrari, followed by Oscar Piastri in seventh, though Piastri was notably half a second adrift of Norris. Completing the top ten were Gabriel Bortoleto for Audi, with Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson in ninth and tenth, respectively.
Oliver Bearman took 11th for Haas, while Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin finished 12th and 13th. Isack Hadjar, running on hard tyres, placed 14th for Red Bull.
Further down the order, Alex Albon struggled with track limits violations, leaving him without a representative time. His best effort was a whopping 31 seconds off the quickest lap.
Notably, Colton Herta had another chance to gain F1 experience, stepping in for Sergio Perez at Cadillac. Herta ended the session in 21st, slightly behind teammate Valtteri Bottas.
Full FP1 Results at United States Grand Prix 2026
| Pos | Driver | Team | Best Lap | Gap | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:36.052 | – | | 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:36.136 | +0.084 | | 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:36.297 | +0.245 | | 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:36.378 | +0.326 | | 5 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:36.533 | +0.481 | | 6 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:36.555 | +0.503 | | 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:36.786 | +0.734 | | 8 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:36.995 | +0.943 | | 9 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:37.063 | +1.011 | | 10 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:37.309 | +1.257 | | 11 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:37.665 | +1.613 | | 12 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:37.688 | +1.636 | | 13 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:37.783 | +1.731 | | 14 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 1:37.790 | +1.738 | | 15 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:37.801 | +1.749 | | 16 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:37.896 | +1.844 | | 17 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:38.121 | +2.069 | | 18 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:38.122 | +2.070 | | 19 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:38.846 | +2.794 | | 20 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:39.053 | +3.001 | | 21 | Colton Herta | Cadillac | 1:39.979 | +3.927 | | 22 | Alex Albon | Williams | – | NC |