Carlos Sainz led a Ferrari 1-2 in United States GP practice, edging out teammate Leclerc as Verstappen and McLaren drivers kept close in preparation for the Sprint Qualifying session.
After a four-week break, Formula 1 returns to action this weekend in Austin for the United States Grand Prix. With a Sprint weekend on the schedule, drivers will have only one hour of preparation before diving straight into the action—a challenging situation, particularly for Liam Lawson, making his debut with Red Bull Racing F1.
Red Bull has introduced a reshaped engine cover and a revised floor for the occasion. The team also has until the Brazilian Grand Prix to comply with all of the FIA’s requests regarding its adjustable ride height.
Mercedes has gone all-out with upgrades, including a new front wing, front suspension, floor, sidepods, engine cover, and vertical vanes in front of the sidepods. McLaren brings a special package for Austin, featuring a completely redesigned front end, as well as modified rear cooling ducts and a revised beam wing.
At Aston Martin F1, the front wing, engine cover, floor, and diffuser have been updated. Meanwhile, Alpine introduces a new floor, engine cover, and beam wing. Red Bull F1 brings a new floor, while Stake introduces a new front wing, along with revised front and rear suspension and modified rear ducts.
Haas also rolls out a substantial upgrade package, including new sidepods, a completely redesigned floor, modified rear cooling ducts, and a new engine cover with previously unseen vents. Ferrari and Williams F1 have not introduced any visible updates, although this does not necessarily mean the teams have no new developments.
Max Verstappen set the early benchmark on hard tyres with a time of 1’37.593, ahead of the Mercedes F1 drivers, Carlos Sainz, and Esteban Ocon. Charles Leclerc later improved with a lap of 1’36.724, while the McLaren F1 drivers made a small error on their first laps.
Lando Norris then came within one thousandth of a second of Leclerc’s time, while Valtteri Bottas set the third-fastest time on medium tyres. Carlos Sainz briefly held the fastest time, only for Verstappen to reclaim it with a 1’35.538.
Pierre Gasly spun during the session, while minor errors accumulated, particularly for Lewis Hamilton and Franco Colapinto. The circuit’s resurfacing has left drivers needing to adapt, with the asphalt still lacking in grip. Hamilton himself spun at high speed while overtaking another driver.
Leclerc reclaimed the lead with a time of 1’34.966, ahead of Sainz and Russell, who slotted in between him and Verstappen. However, the British driver also had a spin in his Mercedes and expressed concerns about a potential balance issue.
Verstappen switched to soft tyres midway through the session, posting a time of 1’33.855. Despite setting the fastest lap, the three-time world champion was not entirely pleased, having started his lap on cold tyres. Sainz improved his time but remained eight-tenths off Verstappen, still running on hard tyres.
Sergio Pérez took third place between the Ferrari drivers, also on soft tyres. The drivers worked on long runs, as this was their only opportunity to prepare for Sunday’s race and assess the soft tyres’ durability for the Sprint.
In the closing stages of the session, drivers fitted soft tyres, with Sainz setting the fastest time with a 1’33.602, less than 10 minutes before the end. Fernando Alonso climbed to third ahead of Hamilton and Gasly, followed by Lawson and Albon, both finishing ahead of Pérez.
Piastri posted the third-fastest time, while Leclerc improved to second, just 0.021 seconds behind Sainz. Hamilton secured the fifth-fastest time, with Kevin Magnussen and his upgraded Haas in sixth. Running with a car covered in Flo-Vis, Norris set the fourth-fastest lap.
In the end, Ferrari secured a 1-2 finish in this sole practice session for the United States Grand Prix, with Sainz leading Leclerc. Verstappen finished third, followed by the McLarens of Norris and Piastri. Lawson completed the session in 13th on his return.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:33.602 |
| 02 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:33.623 |
| 03 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:33.855 |
| 04 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:33.868 |
| 05 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:33.908 |
| 06 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes W15 | 1:33.963 |
| 07 | George Russell | Mercedes W15 | 1:34.093 |
| 08 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:34.096 |
| 09 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:34.112 |
| 10 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:34.313 |
| 11 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:34.364 |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:34.375 |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:34.443 |
| 14 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:34.618 |
| 15 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:34.619 |
| 16 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:34.638 |
| 17 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:34.806 |
| 18 | Valtteri Bottas | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:35.041 |
| 19 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:35.248 |
| 20 | Guanyu Zhou | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:37.219 |
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Sainz Tops Ferrari 1-2 as Verstappen Lurks in US GP Practice Sainz Tops Ferrari 1-2 as Verstappen Lurks in US GP Practice
