Charles Leclerc kicked off the 2026 United States Grand Prix weekend in commanding fashion by setting the pace in the opening practice session at the Circuit of the Americas. The Ferrari driver posted a benchmark lap of 1m36.052s around the challenging Texan venue, edging out his closest rivals by a razor-thin margin as teams kicked off their high-stakes preparations.
The session burst into action immediately as ambient temperatures reached 27 degrees Celsius and track conditions soared past 40 degrees. The entire field headed out within the opening minutes, utilizing the medium and hard compound tyres for their initial installation runs. Lando Norris established an early benchmark before the timesheets witnessed a flurry of changes at the top.
Drama unfolded when Max Verstappen briefly went faster with a 1m35.860s effort, only for the lap to be deleted by race control for exceeding track limits at Turn 19. The tricky corner proved to be a persistent headache throughout the hour-long session, catching out several competitors including Isack Hadjar, Oliver Bearman, Esteban Ocon, and Liam Lawson who all had lap times removed.
As the clock ticked past the halfway mark, teams bolted on the soft tyres for qualifying simulations. Leclerc immediately capitalized to secure the top spot, leaving Verstappen 0.084s adrift in second place. Norris claimed third for McLaren, while George Russell finished fourth ahead of the championship leader as the front-runners separated themselves by a fraction of a second.
The final phase of the session shifted focus toward longer race runs and data collection. Williams endured a particularly troubled morning as handling difficulties over the circuit bumps restricted their running time significantly. With track conditions evolving rapidly, the competitive grid prepares for an intense battle ahead.
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