Leclerc challenges Kimi and Verstappen in Austin; Fernando Alonso, in the fight for Q2 and Sainz suffers
Charles Leclerc and Ferrari They led the first two training sessions in Austinin it Circuit of the Americasat the beginning of F1 United States GP 2026 which filled the Italian ‘tifosi’ with hope to end once and for all their negative streak of eight races without a win in F1.
However, the ‘bogeyman’ is there. Max Verstappen He was second in Free Practice 1 at 84 thousandths and, finally, third in FP2, 0”189 behind Leclercseeing surpassed in that second session by the World Cup leader, Kimi Antonelli, who progressed in the afternoon with his Mercedes to finish 2nd to 42 thousandths. It’s all in a handkerchief.
In that sense, there are two important things to highlight. The first, the good start of the evolutions that Ferrari brought to Austinalthough it is only Friday and it would not be the first time that those in red are diluted on Saturday. And secondly, we must highlight Antonelli’s progress. Mercedes started far in Free Practice 1, but Kimi improved in the afternoon, something that could mean that Andrea continues to take baby steps forward in the search for performance in these new pieces that were shipwrecked on their debut in Malaysia and that did not convince in Sepang either.
Ferrari wants to be in the fight in qualifying this Saturday (11:00 p.m./DAZN) with a Charles who started much better than Lewis Hamilton (fourth to six tenths)who should wake up this Saturday.
But the battle seems even against a Max Verstappen who has just swept Malaysia and Singapore thanks to that step forward taken with the evolutions that came in Baku. The Dutchman, insatiable, will look for another victory. And you will also have to deal with Kimi, who wants to close his first F1 title this weekend in a big way, with pole and victory.
The fight seems tight. And McLaren is not expected to be there. In fact, this Friday, the two orange cars were even surpassed by Lawson (6th) and his RB. It is true that those from Woking have taken giant steps from Friday to Saturday on many tracks. It could happen again. But for now, Norris was 7th, one second behind, with Piastri in seventh place, 14 thousandths behind his teammate.
Hadjar was ninth, with a Red Bull with which he must aspire to more. AND Bearman closed the Top-10 with his Haas, with Bortoleto in 11th place (Audi) and Gasly and his Alpine in 12th place.
Alonso, in the battle for Q2; Sainz suffers
Alonso started well, with a 12th place in the morning, near the top-10, but it got worse in the FP2, 16º to 1”9Yes, on this track, in the fight for Q2. This time, the image is better than what has been seen in Singapore and the man from Oviedo was closer to the rest of the Q2 rivals than to the back of the grid with the AMR26.
And it seemed like he still had some room in his turns, as Fernando couldn’t get the most out of the soft rubber, bothered by George Russell in his last attempt, in the last corner, where he lost charge and suffered a whiplash due to how close George’s car was right in front on a cool-down lap.
One of the keys to the classification lies precisely in that tire, knowing how much ground to lose in the first sector so as not to overheat the tires for the rest of the turn. Carlos Sainz was 20th after having many complications with a Williams who said he was “a disaster” on this track. “I don’t trust the back at all”expressed the Madrid native on the radio.
