Marco Rossi · F1 Correspondent
Armed with a major aerodynamic package, Charles Leclerc posted the fastest time in the first session of the United States Grand Prix, but the field behind him stayed tightly bunched.
Charles Leclerc topped first practice for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin on Friday with a best time of 1:36.052. Ferrari arrived with a new aerodynamic package and it made an immediate impact: Max Verstappen finished just 0.084 seconds back in the Red Bull, and Lando Norris completed the leading group in third.
Ferrari ahead, Red Bull close behind
Leclerc leading the first session was no coincidence. Ferrari brought a major aerodynamic update to this weekend, and the first reaction on track was positive. According to Scuderiafans, however, only Leclerc ran the complete new package, while teammate Lewis Hamilton stayed with the previous specification. Hamilton finished only sixth, 0.503 seconds down, after having to abort his run on the soft tires following a slide at Turn 1.
Verstappen caught the eye despite the narrow 0.084-second gap. On team radio he reported friction in the steering early in the session, an issue that did not noticeably slow his pace but shows that Red Bull still has details to fine-tune before qualifying. In the intra-team duel, Verstappen was 1.654 seconds clear of Isack Hadjar, a gap that stands out, at least in first practice.
McLaren and Mercedes in a tight fight for third
Lando Norris claimed third place, 0.245 seconds off the pace. Teammate Oscar Piastri finished the session seventh, 0.734 seconds back and therefore 0.489 seconds behind Norris, a gap that is likely to be watched closely in the paddock, since the internal pecking order at McLaren is at stake.
Mercedes put both cars into the extended leading group with George Russell in fourth and Andrea Kimi Antonelli in fifth, Russell finishing 0.155 seconds ahead of his younger teammate. For Antonelli, though, this weekend carries a whole different dimension: after the Singapore Grand Prix, the Italian arrives in Austin as championship leader with a 102-point lead over Russell and has his first mathematical chance to wrap up the drivers' title early. One session alone obviously says nothing about that, but Mercedes has both cars within striking distance of the front.
Verstappen's criticism of the track and unrest in the midfield
Even before first practice, Max Verstappen had sparked the biggest talking point of the weekend. The bumps on parts of the Circuit of the Americas were "unacceptable" and "out of control," the Dutchman said on his arrival in Austin, referring to vertical loads on the drivers that are said to be well above normal at times. Comments like these from a world champion carry real weight in the paddock and are likely to be debated further in the coming days.
For several drivers, their form in first practice is in any case only a partial guide to qualifying. Gabriel Bortoleto, Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto face grid penalties for the race after exceeding their allocation of power unit components, yet Bortoleto and Lindblad showed with eighth and ninth in the first session that their raw speed is there. Whether that form holds up through second practice and Saturday's qualifying remains to be seen, before the points are handed out in Austin on Sunday.
