Ferrari driver Leclerc tops first practice at the United States Grand Prix — BBC Sport

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was fastest in the first practice session of the United States Grand Prix in Austin. The Monegasque was 0.084 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, BBC Sport reports.

First practice results

McLaren driver Lando Norris set the third-fastest time, while Mercedes representative George Russell was fourth. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli took fifth place, 0.481 seconds behind Leclerc's time. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton was sixth, and McLaren driver Oscar Piastri finished seventh.

For Antonelli, this race weekend is the first in which he can secure his first world championship title early. To do so, he needs to win the race in Austin, while Russell must finish below eighth place and Hamilton below fourth.

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Ferrari and Mercedes updates

Mercedes returned both cars to the updated specification that the team introduced in Malaysia two races ago. The team believes the update has additional potential, but is still looking for settings that will allow it to be fully utilized. Mercedes expects that a regular weekend with three practice sessions will help optimize the cars' performance.

Ferrari also brought an update to Austin, centered on a new floor. Leclerc and Hamilton do not expect a significant effect from this upgrade. Hamilton estimated its gain at less than a tenth of a second and suggested that Ferrari's competitiveness could depend on how well the track suits the characteristics of the car.