Team Insights: Friday at the 2026 United States Grand Prix

Ferrari

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc led the charge in both practice sessions, demonstrating strong form at a circuit where he has previously triumphed. His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, found himself slightly behind, grappling with setup challenges, particularly over the circuit's notorious bumps. The highlight was Leclerc's close encounter with George Russell, which luckily resulted in no further action from the stewards.

Charles Leclerc - FP1: 1:36.052, P1; FP2: 1:35.291, P1

"The car felt good, and our upgrades are performing as expected," Leclerc noted. "However, it's crucial to remain grounded as our rivals, like Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen, appear strong and will be competitive in qualifying."

Lewis Hamilton - FP1: 1:36.555, P6; FP2: 1:35.906, P4

Hamilton remarked on the challenging day, "We experimented with the setup, but I wasn’t comfortable, especially over the bumps. There's pace to be found, and we'll work overnight to improve."

Mercedes

Kimi Antonelli and George Russell had a day of mixed fortunes. Antonelli managed to improve significantly in FP2, ending up second fastest. Russell, while showing progress, faced some setbacks with track limits and an incident in sector one.

Kimi Antonelli - FP1: 1:36.533, P5; FP2: 1:35.333, P2

Antonelli commented, "We’ve made strides with our update package, and there’s more to extract. We're optimistic about Sunday, but further improvements are needed."

George Russell - FP1: 1:36.378, P4; FP2: 1:35.793, P5

Russell added, "FP2 was better, but we need to continue refining the car’s balance and execute well in qualifying."

Red Bull

Max Verstappen was quick off the mark, initially leading FP1 before losing his best time to track limits. Despite that, he was pleased with the car's balance, though he acknowledged more work was needed. His teammate Isack Hadjar struggled with consistency, particularly on the soft tires.

Max Verstappen - FP1: 1:35.860, P2; FP2: 1:35.480, P3

"A positive start, but the track’s bumps make finding the right setup challenging," Verstappen said. "We’ll refine the balance further."

Isack Hadjar - FP1: 1:36.490, P14; FP2: 1:36.411, P9

Hadjar admitted, "The soft tire setup didn’t work as hoped. We’ll focus on improving car balance."

McLaren

Lando Norris showed promise in FP1, but both he and Oscar Piastri struggled to maintain consistent pace in the second session. The team is looking to make small tweaks to enhance their performance.

Lando Norris - FP1: 1:36.297, P3; FP2: 1:36.373, P7

"Encouraging pace at times, but we need to work on consistency," Norris noted. "Incremental changes should help."

Oscar Piastri - FP1: 1:36.786, P7; FP2: 1:36.029, P8

Piastri reflected, "Grip is the main issue. We’ll analyze our data to find improvements."

Racing Bulls

Arvid Lindblad, facing a grid penalty, and Liam Lawson had a mixed day. Lawson ended FP2 as the fastest midfield runner, while Lindblad struggled with the soft tires.

Arvid Lindblad - FP1: 1:37.063, P9; FP2: 1:36.734, P13

Lindblad commented, "A day with ups and downs. We’ve identified a direction to follow for more performance."

Liam Lawson - FP1: 1:37.309, P10; FP2: 1:36.331, P6

Lawson said, "The car feels quick, and there’s more to unlock."

Audi

Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto outshone his teammate Nico Hulkenberg, despite a looming grid penalty. Hulkenberg faced technical issues that hampered his sessions.

Nico Hulkenberg - FP1: 1:38.122, P18; FP2: 1:37.040, P18

Hulkenberg said, "A straightforward day, learning a lot. We hope to be competitive in qualifying."

Gabriel Bortoleto - FP1: 1:36.995, P8; FP2: 1:36.832, P11

Bortoleto noted, "The car feels good, but starting from the back will be challenging."

Alpine

Alpine faced a challenging Friday with Franco Colapinto set back by a grid penalty. Pierre Gasly showed some improvement across sessions but needs more pace to compete for Q3.

Pierre Gasly - FP1: 1:37.801, P15; FP2: 1:36.840, P12

Gasly said, "The bumpy track is difficult for balance. We need to improve overnight."

Franco Colapinto - FP1: 1:38.121, P17; FP2: 1:37.201, P15

Colapinto mentioned, "Focused on race prep due to grid penalty, finding areas to improve."

Haas

Oliver Bearman was the standout for Haas in both sessions, while Esteban Ocon struggled with braking issues. The team is hopeful of maintaining their form into qualifying.

Oliver Bearman - FP1: 1:37.665, P11; FP2: 1:36.536, P10

Bearman reflected, "A good feeling in the car, continuing from Singapore."

Esteban Ocon – FP1: 1:37.896, P16; FP2: 1:37.201, P14

Ocon added, "Struggling with front-locking, working to improve."

Aston Martin

Aston Martin had a solid start, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll closely matched. Alonso faced traffic issues, while Stroll showed improvement.

Fernando Alonso - FP1: 1:37.688, P12; FP2: 1:37.235, P16

Lance Stroll - FP1: 1:37.783, P13; FP2: 1:37.269, P17

Stroll commented, "We're better than in Singapore, but power is lacking on straights."

Cadillac

Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez had a busy day, with Colton Herta stepping in for FP1. The team focused on testing new components, aiming for overnight improvements.

Valtteri Bottas - FP1: 1:39.053, P20; FP2: 1:38.422, P19

Bottas said, "A smooth day, looking for optimal setup overnight."

Sergio Perez - FP2: 1:39.036, P21

Perez noted, "Missed FP1, but learned a lot in FP2."

Williams

Williams focused on testing in FP1, resulting in unrepresentative times. Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz faced difficulties in FP2, with the team working on solutions overnight.

Alex Albon - FP1: 2:16.468, P22; FP2: 1:43.426, P22

Albon remarked, "A tricky day, but a lot to debrief."

Carlos Sainz - FP1: 1:38.846, P19; FP2: 1:37.701, P20

Sainz added, "The circuit doesn’t suit our car, but we’re focused on gathering useful data."

Pirelli

Pirelli's Motorsport Director, Dario Marrafuschi, observed consistent behavior from the selected compounds, with teams focusing on Medium and Soft tires. A one-stop race strategy seems likely given the degradation levels and evolving track grip.

"The track surface was initially dirty but improved rapidly," Marrafuschi explained. "Managing aerodynamic balance is key due to the bumpy track, affecting braking zones."