Carlos Sainz leads a Ferrari one-two in United States Grand Prix practice session.
Carlos Sainz (30) secured the top position in the only practice session for the US Grand Prix on Friday, leading his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc in a one-two finish. Formula One title contenders Max Verstappen and Lando Norris followed in third and fourth place, respectively.
Verstappen, who triumphed at Austin's Circuit of the Americas last year, currently holds a 52-point advantage over Norris with six races left in the season.
Sainz recorded a fastest lap of one minute 33.602 seconds, while Leclerc, who started from pole position last year, was just 0.021 seconds behind. Verstappen, who achieved his best time earlier in the session, and Norris were 0.253 and 0.266 seconds off the leading pace, respectively.
Following a controversy on Thursday regarding a ride height device that raised concerns among competitors, Red Bull made adjustments to their car. Meanwhile, McLaren had to modify their rear wing after the previous race in Singapore, intensifying the technical competition as the championship race approaches its final stages.
Austin is set to host the fourth sprint weekend of the season, with eight points available for the winner of the 100km race on Saturday. Qualifying for this race took place later on Friday, deviating from the usual second practice schedule.
Sainz expressed to reporters that he anticipated Austin would serve as a critical evaluation of Ferrari's upgrades, which were introduced during the team's home Italian Grand Prix at the end of August, and initial results appeared promising.
At the halfway mark on hard tyres, the two Ferraris were in the top two positions before Verstappen, one of the first to switch to soft tyres, set a faster time. The Ferraris then reclaimed the top spots once they also fitted soft tyres.
Oscar Piastri from McLaren finished fifth, while Mercedes' seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton placed sixth after experiencing an early spin in a car equipped with significant upgrades. George Russell from Mercedes, who also spun, secured seventh place on the timesheets, followed by Haas's Kevin Magnussen in eighth and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso in ninth.
Yuki Tsunoda from Red Bull completed the top ten, with his teammate Liam Lawson finishing in thirteenth place.
New Zealander Lawson has taken the place of Australian Daniel Ricciardo for the final six races; however, he will carry an inherited grid penalty in Austin.
SportsLigue