Leclerc Leads Practice at United States Grand Prix 2026

Charles Leclerc emerged as the fastest driver during the second practice session at the United States Grand Prix, held at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. The Ferrari driver clocked a time of 1:35.291, finishing 0.042 seconds ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who is in contention for his first world title this weekend. Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen completed the top three, trailing Leclerc by 0.189 seconds.

The session commenced at 1600 local time, with Pierre Gasly from Alpine leading a rush of cars onto the track. Sergio Perez returned to his Cadillac after Colton Herta's stint in the first practice session. Verstappen quickly asserted his dominance by posting a benchmark time of 1:36.581 on medium tyres.

However, his teammate Isack Hadjar faced difficulties, reporting issues with his visor, which hampered his performance on the track. In contrast, Leclerc and Antonelli began strong, with Leclerc narrowly outpacing Verstappen in the earlier session.

George Russell of Mercedes temporarily took the lead, showcasing competitive spirit, although minor infractions affecting track limits resulted in time deletions for several drivers, including Hamilton and Antonelli.

As the practice progressed, teams shifted focus to qualifying simulations. Leclerc's quick adaptation allowed him to regain the top position, despite some complaints about tyre degradation. Norris did not complete his simulation run smoothly due to a mistake at Turn 16, finishing behind Leclerc and Antonelli.

The final minutes of the session saw teams prepare for race configurations, looking to solidify their setups for the upcoming events. Across the finishes, Liam Lawson clinched an impressive sixth place for Racing Bulls, followed by the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The latter pair expressed frustrations regarding the handling of their cars.

As the chequered flag concluded the session, teams prepared for further analysis and strategies ahead of Free Practice 3 scheduled for Saturday. The subsequent qualifying session will take place at 1600 local time, heightening the stakes as teams aim for optimal positioning ahead of the race.