Leclerc showed encouraging pace throughout the opening day, edging Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the first session before holding off Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli in the second to put Ferrari firmly in the spotlight ahead of Sunday’s race.

The Monegasque clocked a fastest lap of 1:36.052 in FP1, finishing just 0.084 seconds ahead of Verstappen, with McLaren’s Lando Norris third. Mercedes duo George Russell and Antonelli completed the top five, while Lewis Hamilton was sixth in the second Ferrari.

Charles Leclerc. Photo: F1

Verstappen initially appeared to have the outright pace to beat Leclerc, but his quickest lap was deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 19. The Dutchman therefore had to settle for second, although his performance suggested Red Bull would be a serious contender throughout the weekend.

Ferrari’s performance was particularly encouraging given the aerodynamic upgrades introduced for the Austin race. The team will be hoping the improvements translate into competitive qualifying pace and, more importantly, a strong result on Sunday.

There were a few headaches elsewhere in the field. Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg encountered a technical problem that curtailed his first session, while Williams struggled to produce representative lap times early on as the team concentrated on gathering data.

Kimi Antonelli. Photo: F1

The second practice session delivered an even tighter battle at the front.

Leclerc improved to 1:35.291 to finish just 0.042 seconds ahead of Antonelli, with Verstappen third, 0.189 seconds off the pace. Hamilton was fourth, giving Ferrari two cars inside the top four, while Russell finished fifth.

Antonelli’s impressive performance will attract particular attention, with the Mercedes driver arriving in Austin with an opportunity to clinch the world championship. The young Italian showed he has the pace to challenge at the front, although qualifying and race-day execution will be crucial.

Max Verstappen. Photo: F1

Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson also caught the eye in sixth, ahead of Norris and Oscar Piastri, as McLaren appeared less comfortable with the handling of its cars. Isack Hadjar and Haas driver Oliver Bearman completed the top ten.

Track limits proved a recurring challenge, with several drivers having lap times deleted as they pushed the boundaries around Austin’s demanding circuit. With two sessions completed, Ferrari has made the strongest early impression, but the narrow margins separating Leclerc, Antonelli and Verstappen suggest the fight remains wide open.

The teams will now analyse their data ahead of Saturday’s final practice and qualifying, with the battle for pole position expected to provide another compelling chapter in the United States Grand Prix weekend.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg