The battle for victory at the United States Grand Prix could involve all four leading Formula 1 teams after Friday practice at Circuit of the Americas revealed a remarkably close contest.
Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes were separated by less than two-tenths of a second in theoretical single-lap pace, while McLaren's long-run performance suggested it could be more competitive than the initial practice results indicated.
Charles Leclerc emerged as Ferrari's standout performer over one lap, but Max Verstappen's Red Bull showed impressive straight-line speed, Mercedes demonstrated consistency across different sections of the circuit, and Lando Norris delivered encouraging race-pace numbers for McLaren.
The result is an uncertain competitive picture heading into the remainder of the Austin weekend.
Ferrari and Red Bull Excel in Different Areas
Leclerc's Ferrari appeared particularly strong through the slower corners, where precise braking, rotation and traction are crucial.
The Monegasque driver carried the highest minimum speed through Turn 1, matched Kimi Antonelli's best through Turn 12 and showed impressive control under braking into the Turn 11 hairpin. He also frequently returned to the throttle earlier than his rivals.
Ferrari demonstrated strong performance through the high-speed Turns 6 and 7, where Leclerc maintained partial throttle while Verstappen lifted. However, variations in energy deployment made some comparisons between the cars less straightforward.
The biggest weakness for Ferrari remained straight-line speed. Verstappen gained approximately six-tenths of a second over Leclerc on the straights, giving Red Bull a significant advantage in that part of the lap.
Verstappen also demonstrated strong braking performance and found time by prioritizing corner exits, particularly through Turn 20. However, the Red Bull struggled to match Ferrari and Mercedes in some slower corners.
Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache identified low-speed performance as the team's main area for improvement.
“It's clearly the low-speed performance that we are focused on at the moment,” Wache said. “Low speed is the key for us.”
Verstappen lost significant time through Turns 1 and 12. At Turn 1, wheelspin delayed his return to full throttle, while at Turn 12 he struggled to achieve the same minimum speed as Leclerc and Antonelli.
The car also appeared to lack some of the rotation needed to attack the corners confidently. Bumps in the braking zones may have contributed to the difficulty, although the precise cause remained uncertain.
“Finding the right balance was more difficult than expected,” Wache admitted.
Despite those limitations, Verstappen's straight-line advantage and consistent soft-tyre performance could make Red Bull a serious contender as the weekend progresses.
Mercedes Shows a More Balanced Performance
Mercedes presented a relatively balanced package, combining competitive straight-line speed with strong performance in several key corners.
Antonelli was particularly impressive through Turns 8 and 9, Turn 15 and Turn 12. His performance approaching the hairpin also suggested that Mercedes could challenge Ferrari in the technical sections.
The team did not match Red Bull's straight-line advantage, while some corner exits remained an area where Mercedes lost time.
George Russell was also competitive, although his theoretical best lap placed him behind Antonelli. The difference between the two Mercedes drivers was small enough that further improvements in setup and energy deployment could change the order.
Mercedes' combination of speed and balance means it cannot be dismissed from the fight for pole position or victory.
McLaren's Practice Times May Be Misleading
McLaren's headline FP2 results initially appeared less encouraging, with Norris more than a second away from the fastest time on the timing screens.
However, his qualifying simulations were compromised by mistakes and aborted laps, making his final position a poor reflection of the car's potential.
Norris first lost time following a snap through Turn 9, potentially influenced by turbulent air from Russell's Mercedes. His subsequent attempt on soft tyres ended after a lockup at Turn 15.
McLaren chief technical officer Rob Marshall said the team had seen enough to remain optimistic.
“We set a purple [fastest sector time] in FP2 as well, we just didn't finish the lap,” Marshall said. “It was a competitive lap up until the point where we made a mistake.”
Norris recorded the fastest first sector at the time of his run, and Verstappen's later effort beat it by just 0.015 seconds. That performance compared favorably with Ferrari and Mercedes.
The theoretical best lap calculations also placed Norris closer to the leaders than his completed practice time suggested.
Theoretical best single-lap pace in FP2
| Driver | Theoretical best |
|---|---|
| Charles Leclerc | 1:35.291 |
| Kimi Antonelli | 1:35.333 |
| Max Verstappen | 1:35.438 |
| George Russell | 1:35.657 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 1:35.752 |
| Lando Norris | 1:35.828 |
| Isack Hadjar | 1:35.985 |
| Oscar Piastri | 1:36.029 |
Leclerc led the theoretical standings, but Antonelli was only 0.042 seconds behind. Verstappen remained within 0.147 seconds of the Ferrari driver, underlining how closely matched the leading contenders were over a single lap.
Norris's position also suggested McLaren could be more competitive once it completes a clean qualifying simulation.
Norris Leads the Long-Run Averages
The race-pace data offered another twist, with Norris recording the fastest average lap time among the listed drivers during Friday's long runs.
However, the figures require caution because the drivers used different tyre compounds, completed different numbers of laps and encountered varying levels of traffic.
Austin Friday long-run pace
| Driver | Average lap | Laps | Tyre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lando Norris | 1:41.289 | 9 | Hard |
| Max Verstappen | 1:41.481 | 11 | Soft |
| Charles Leclerc | 1:41.503 | 15 | Soft |
| Kimi Antonelli | 1:41.521 | 12 | Medium |
| George Russell | 1:41.602 | 6 | Medium |
| Lewis Hamilton | 1:41.949 | 6 | Soft |
| Oscar Piastri | 1:41.997 | 7 | Soft |
| Isack Hadjar | 1:42.031 | 10 | Medium |
Norris's average of 1:41.289 was the quickest in the group, ahead of Verstappen and Leclerc. His performance strengthens the argument that McLaren has the pace to challenge, although the harder tyre compound makes direct comparisons difficult.
Pirelli expects the hard tyre to play only a limited role in determining race strategy, with a one-stop approach using the soft and medium compounds considered the most likely option.
Verstappen's performance on the soft tyres was particularly encouraging. His lap times remained consistent, with less apparent degradation than Leclerc experienced over his longer run.
That could prove important if Red Bull can preserve its tyre performance while improving the car's low-speed balance.
Red Bull's Second Car Faces Tyre Problems
While Verstappen delivered a competitive performance, Isack Hadjar experienced a much more difficult session.
The Red Bull driver struggled with overheating front tyres and reported substantial loss of grip through high-speed corners. His soft-tyre performance deteriorated sharply, leaving him frustrated with the car's behavior.
“It's just a disaster,” Hadjar said of his soft-tyre lap.
“It was just undriveable, and I was losing the front end massively. We need to have a look because that's not normal, why there is so much deg on one lap.”
Hadjar also said his tyres were “completely killed” in the high-speed sections.
Wache suggested that tyre behavior was a key factor behind the gap between the Red Bull teammates, despite their relatively similar setup directions.
Elsewhere, Hamilton and Piastri also appeared to be behind their respective teammates during the opening day.
Hamilton said he had experimented with a different setup direction but was uncomfortable with the car, particularly over Austin's bumps. Piastri's soft-tyre long-run pace also appeared to fade significantly.
Those gaps may narrow as the teams review their data and make adjustments before qualifying and the race.
Who Has the Advantage Heading Into the Weekend?
Friday's data does not establish a clear favorite for the United States Grand Prix.
Ferrari has demonstrated excellent cornering performance and currently leads the theoretical single-lap calculations. Red Bull possesses a major straight-line advantage and encouraging soft-tyre consistency, but Verstappen still needs a better low-speed balance.
Mercedes appears capable of competing across a broad range of corners, while McLaren's long-run performance and Norris's incomplete qualifying simulations suggest its potential remains underrepresented in the headline times.
The next step will be converting those promising indicators into a clean qualifying performance and a sustainable race strategy.
With the leading teams showing different strengths and weaknesses, Austin could deliver a closely contested battle for pole position and victory.
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