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US Grand Prix: Leclerc Leads Ferrari Charge as Antonelli Title Maths Survive Friday at COTA

Friday at Circuit of The Americas belonged to Ferrari, but the bigger story survived intact. Charles Leclerc set the fastest time of the day in second practice for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, and championship leader Kimi Antonelli stayed close enough behind him to keep his title hopes firmly alive going into Saturday.

The United States Grand Prix runs from 23 to 25 October 2026 at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. It is a 56 lap race run to the normal non-Sprint format, which means one practice session on Saturday, qualifying on Saturday afternoon, and the race on Sunday afternoon local time. There is no Sprint race to shake up the order this weekend, so Friday practice carried extra weight as the one real read on long run pace and single lap speed before qualifying.

Leclerc was fastest in FP2 with a time of 1:35.291. Antonelli, driving for Mercedes, was second, just 0.042 seconds behind on 1:35.333. Max Verstappen was third for Red Bull, 0.189 seconds off the pace on 1:35.480. Lewis Hamilton was fourth in the second Ferrari and George Russell was fifth in the second Mercedes, completing a top five split between three teams. Liam Lawson, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Isack Hadjar and Oliver Bearman rounded out the top 10 in FP2, in a session where several drivers had lap times deleted for track limits.

That top five matters because it is tight at the front and messy behind it. A gap of four hundredths of a second between first and second is nothing at a long, technical circuit like COTA, where a small mistake in the first sector or a slide through the fast esses can cost more than that in a single corner. Verstappen sitting less than two tenths back means Red Bull are in the fight too, even if Friday did not hand them the headline time. For fans, the honest Friday verdict is this: Ferrari look quick, Mercedes look close, and nobody has run away with the weekend yet.

What happened in FP2 at COTA?

FP2 is the session teams use to judge both qualifying pace and race pace, and Friday evening in Austin gave them plenty to think about. Leclerc led the way for Ferrari, with Antonelli right behind him and Verstappen third. Hamilton and Russell completed the top five, which meant Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull all had at least one car in the leading group.

Behind the top five, the order was close and changeable. Liam Lawson, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Isack Hadjar and Oliver Bearman all featured inside the top 10, but the gaps through the midfield were small and several drivers lost their best laps to track limits deletions. Track limits have always been a talking point at COTA, where wide run off areas tempt drivers to run wide at corner exits, and Friday was no exception. A deleted lap does not just cost a place on the timesheet, it also costs a driver confidence in where the limit really is, and that matters when qualifying comes down to a single flying lap.

There were also individual moments that told their own story. Norris locked up at Turn 12 early in the session, a reminder of how hard the braking zone into the tight left hander at the end of the back straight can bite. Russell had a snap on a flying lap, the kind of sudden loss of rear grip that can ruin a lap even when the car underneath feels quick. Neither moment decided the session, but both showed that COTA was not giving anyone an easy Friday.

Leclerc had also set the pace earlier in the day in FP1, again ahead of Verstappen and Norris, so Ferrari's Friday speed was not a one session flash. Two sessions at the top of the order is a much stronger signal than one, even if Friday times always come with the usual warning about fuel loads, engine modes and run plans differing between teams. Nobody wins a race on Friday, but Ferrari will head into Saturday knowing their car works around this circuit.

Why are Ferrari quick in Austin?

Ferrari brought upgrades to Austin, and Friday suggests those upgrades are working in the right direction. Leclerc led both practice sessions on the day, and Hamilton backed him up with fourth place in FP2, which points to a car that is working for both drivers rather than flattering just one of them. At a circuit with a long straight, a fast and flowing first sector, and a tight and technical final sector, a car needs to be good everywhere rather than brilliant in one place, and Ferrari looked balanced across all three sectors on Friday.

That balance is important because COTA punishes a car that is only strong in one type of corner. The first sector, with its uphill run to Turn 1 and the fast sweeping esses that follow, rewards aerodynamic confidence and a stable front end. The back straight and the heavy braking zone into Turn 12 reward straight line speed and braking stability. The final sector, tight and twisty, rewards traction and a car that can change direction without losing the rear. Leclerc finding time across the lap, rather than in one sector alone, is why Ferrari's Friday looks like a genuine step rather than a track specific quirk.

For Leclerc himself, the context is simple. He sits fifth in the championship on 215 points, and a win in Austin would be a major result for Ferrari in front of a large and enthusiastic American crowd. Friday does not guarantee that, and qualifying on Saturday will be the real test, but leading the way on Friday is the best possible start to the weekend for a driver who needs a strong result to keep his own season moving forward.

What is wrong with McLaren after their update?

McLaren arrived in Austin with the first of three planned updates, but Friday did not go to plan for the papaya cars. Norris and Piastri both said they were unhappy with the handling of their cars in FP2, which is a blunt verdict from two drivers who usually find a way to be competitive even on a difficult day.

Handling complaints can mean many things in Formula 1, from a car that will not turn into slow corners to one that snaps sideways at high speed, but the practical effect is the same: a driver who does not trust the car cannot commit fully to a qualifying lap. Norris locking up at Turn 12 early in the session fits that picture, because a driver fighting the car under braking is more likely to overshoot a braking point or lock a wheel. Piastri, meanwhile, was in the top 10 but not at the sharp end, which suggests McLaren have work to do overnight rather than a disaster to recover from.

The wider context matters here too. Norris sits sixth in the championship on 201 points, and McLaren need a strong weekend to stay in the fight at the front. Updates are supposed to bring performance, but they can also change the balance of a car in ways that take time to understand, especially at a bumpy and demanding circuit like COTA. Saturday practice will be crucial for McLaren, because it is their last chance to find a setup that gives both drivers confidence before qualifying. If they find it, they can still fight for the front rows. If they do not, they risk starting behind Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull and spending Sunday fighting through traffic instead of fighting for a win.

What happened with Antonelli and the bumps?

Antonelli reported during Friday running that his seat was moving over the bumps at COTA, and his Mercedes team adjusted it. That is a practical fix to a physical problem, and it is worth noting because comfort and stability in the cockpit matter more than they sound. A driver who is shifting in his seat over bumps cannot feel the car properly through his back and shoulders, and at a circuit as bumpy as COTA that loss of feel costs lap time and concentration.

The bumps at COTA are a known issue at this circuit, which was built on former marshland where clay soil swells and shrinks with changes in moisture. That ground movement has left the track surface uneven in places, and the bumps have been a talking point all weekend. Readers who want the full background can read yesterday's report on the subject here: Verstappen calls COTA bumps unacceptable after 9G spine impacts. In short, Verstappen had called the bumps unacceptable after reporting spine impacts of over 9G, with no diagnosis yet given for the cause. He did not say he would miss the race, and Friday running went ahead as planned.

For Antonelli, the seat adjustment appears to have done its job, because he finished second in FP2, just four hundredths behind Leclerc. That is the key point for the championship: a small cockpit problem on Friday did not derail his weekend. He heads into Saturday second fastest, leading the championship, and still in control of his own title destiny.

There was also a technical footnote to Friday. The FIA ran a low-grip-mode simulation at the end of FP1 as part of power unit software protection work. That kind of test does not affect the timesheets in any meaningful way for fans, but it is part of the background work the governing body does to protect power units and keep the racing fair. It is a reminder that even a practice session at a Grand Prix is also a working test session for the sport itself.

Can Antonelli win the title in Austin?

Yes, but only in one very specific scenario. Antonelli leads the championship on 340 points, ahead of Russell on 238, Hamilton on 229, Verstappen on 221, Leclerc on 215 and Norris on 201. He leads Russell by 102 points and Hamilton by 111 points going into the Austin weekend.

Antonelli can clinch the title in Austin only if he wins the race and Russell finishes ninth or lower and Hamilton finishes fifth or lower. If all three parts of that scenario happen, Antonelli would be uncatchable even though 125 points would still remain after Austin, because the countback on wins would favour him: he would hold nine wins against a maximum of eight for Russell. Anything other than an Antonelli win means no title is decided in Austin, whatever happens to his rivals.

That narrow window is what makes Sunday so compelling. Antonelli does not just need to win, he needs help from the results behind him. Russell finishing ninth or lower is far from guaranteed for a Mercedes driver who has been consistently at the front this season, and Hamilton finishing fifth or lower is also a real ask given Ferrari's Friday pace. If Antonelli wins but Russell finishes eighth, for example, the title fight goes on. If Antonelli finishes second, no matter where anyone else finishes, the title fight goes on. The maths are simple to state and hard to achieve, which is exactly why they are worth watching.

If Antonelli does clinch it in Austin, he would become the youngest-ever Formula 1 world champion at 20 years and 61 days on race day, and the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. That is the kind of history that turns a race into a landmark, and it explains why so much attention this weekend is on a 20-year-old who is still in only his second season at the front of the sport. Even if the title is not decided on Sunday, a win for Antonelli would put him within touching distance and make the next race a potential coronation instead.

For Verstappen, Leclerc and Norris, the Austin maths are different. They are not in a position to win the title this weekend, but they can still shape who does. A Verstappen win, for example, would end Antonelli's Austin hopes on the spot, because the scenario requires an Antonelli victory. A Leclerc win would do the same. That is why the front of the race matters so much: every driver at the front is either chasing the title, defending a position in the standings, or capable of deciding the championship fight by winning the race themselves.

When are FP3, qualifying and the race?

Saturday is a busy day at COTA, with final practice in the early afternoon local time and qualifying later in the afternoon. Sunday's race starts at 15:00 local time in Austin. Because the UK clocks go back overnight from Saturday into Sunday, London times shift from BST on Saturday to GMT on Sunday, so check the table carefully rather than assuming the same offset all weekend.

| Session | Austin local time | Karachi PKT | London | Berlin and Paris | New York EDT | |---|---|---|---| | FP3, Saturday 24 October | 12:30 CDT | 22:30 PKT Saturday | 18:30 BST Saturday | 19:30 CEST Saturday | 13:30 EDT Saturday | | Qualifying, Saturday 24 October | 16:00 CDT | 02:00 PKT Sunday | 22:00 BST Saturday | 23:00 CEST Saturday | 17:00 EDT Saturday | | Race, Sunday 25 October, 56 laps | 15:00 CDT | 01:00 PKT Monday | 20:00 GMT Sunday | 21:00 CET Sunday | 16:00 EDT Sunday |

For viewers in Pakistan, that means a late night on Saturday for FP3 at 22:30 PKT, a very early start on Sunday at 02:00 PKT for qualifying, and another early start at 01:00 PKT on Monday for the race itself. For viewers in the UK, FP3 is at 18:30 BST on Saturday evening, qualifying is at 22:00 BST on Saturday night, and the race is at 20:00 London time on Sunday evening after the clocks change. For viewers in continental Europe, qualifying is a late Saturday night at 23:00 CEST and the race is at 21:00 CET on Sunday. For viewers on the east coast of North America, qualifying is at 17:00 EDT on Saturday and the race is at 16:00 EDT on Sunday afternoon.

How can I watch the US Grand Prix?

In the UK, Sky Sports F1 has full coverage of the weekend. Sky lists FP3 at 18:15 BST on Saturday, qualifying build-up from 20:30 BST on Saturday with qualifying itself at 22:00 BST, and race coverage building to a 20:00 London start on Sunday. Those are the times to set your planner for if you are watching on Sky in the UK.

For viewers in the United States, check your local listings for the race broadcast in your area, as schedules and channels vary by provider and region. The same applies in Canada and in other countries outside the UK: local broadcasters carry the race, but start times and channels differ, so the session times in the table above are the reliable guide to when the action happens, and your local listings will confirm where to watch it.

If you are following from Pakistan, the late night and early morning times are the price of a race in Texas. FP3 at 22:30 PKT on Saturday is the friendly one. Qualifying at 02:00 PKT on Sunday and the race at 01:00 PKT on Monday are night owl sessions, so plan accordingly if you want to watch live rather than catching up on highlights.

What should I watch for on Saturday?

First, watch Ferrari in FP3. Leclerc led both Friday sessions, and Saturday morning practice is where teams confirm whether Friday pace was real or a product of different run plans. If Leclerc and Hamilton are again at the front in FP3, Ferrari will go into qualifying as favourites for pole position. If Mercedes or Red Bull jump ahead, Friday will look like a false dawn.

Second, watch McLaren. Norris and Piastri were unhappy with handling in FP2, and Saturday practice is their chance to fix it. A big overnight improvement would show up immediately in FP3 times and in how settled the cars look through the fast first sector. If the complaints continue, expect McLaren to qualify behind the leading three teams and face a recovery drive on Sunday.

Third, watch Antonelli under pressure. He was second fastest on Friday, his seat problem was fixed, and he knows exactly what he needs on Sunday: a win plus help from Russell and Hamilton. Qualifying position matters hugely for that scenario, because winning from pole at COTA is much easier than winning from the second or third row. A front row start on Saturday night would set up the title scenario perfectly. A poor qualifying would make Sunday's maths academic before the race even starts.

Fourth, watch track limits and the bumps. Friday showed that lap times will be deleted and that drivers are fighting the surface, and qualifying is when both factors bite hardest. A driver who loses his best lap to track limits in the final part of qualifying could drop several places through no fault of his pace, and a driver who cannot ride the bumps cleanly through the esses will lose time on every lap. Saturday's qualifying session is likely to be decided as much by precision and composure as by raw speed.

Finally, watch Verstappen. He was third on Friday, less than two tenths behind Leclerc, and he has made a habit of turning solid Fridays into strong Sundays. He cannot win the title in Austin, but he can decide who does by winning the race, and a driver with that kind of spoiler power is always dangerous. If Verstappen finds a little more pace overnight, Sunday could become a straight fight between Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes for a win that carries championship consequences far beyond the 25 points on offer.

For the wider weekend, football fans can also catch up on yesterday's big derby preview here: Chelsea v Tottenham: injuries, kickoff times and what to watch. The United States Grand Prix, though, is the story that could make history on Sunday. Leclerc leads the way after Friday, Antonelli is right behind him, and the title maths are alive. Saturday's qualifying will tell us whether Sunday is a coronation, a classic race, or just another step toward a title decided somewhere else.

SOURCES: FIA, Sky Sports F1, NST/Reuters, Formula 1.