Ferrari enter qualifying for the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix with a clean sweep of practice sessions at the Circuit of the Americas, according to Crash.net. Charles Leclerc, the 2024 winner in Austin, set the pace in both of Friday's sessions in the updated SF-26, and Lewis Hamilton then led Max Verstappen in the third practice run. Qualifying at COTA will set the grid for Sunday's race.
The session carries added weight because Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli can secure his first championship this weekend. Crash.net reports that the Italian finished Friday's second practice in second place.
Why it matters
A Ferrari front-row lockout would put the team in position to claim a third US Grand Prix victory at COTA, adding to its wins there in 2018 and 2024. But Leclerc has cautioned against reading too much into practice form, per Crash.net, and Red Bull arrive with momentum from victories in the last two rounds.
For Antonelli, meanwhile, qualifying is the first step in a weekend that could end with a maiden title. A strong grid slot would keep that prospect firmly in his own hands.
Leclerc's caution and Red Bull's counterweight
Leclerc's double at the top of the Friday timesheets came in Ferrari's updated car, but the Monegasque played down the significance of the results. Red Bull's response was measured rather than alarming: Verstappen ended Friday third, with the team focused on carrying over its recent winning form.
The Circuit of the Americas has been a fixture since 2012, when it ended a five-year gap without a United States Grand Prix, and Crash.net notes it has since become one of the most popular stops on the calendar. This is F1's second visit to the US in 2026.
How the qualifying session unfolded
Crash.net's live coverage described a Q3 run in which George Russell and Antonelli were the first drivers out of the pits, with Antonelli taking provisional pole on that opening effort. Verstappen and Isack Hadjar followed the Mercedes pair onto the track shortly afterwards.
As the chequered flag fell, Leclerc moved to the top of the timesheets. Russell and Antonelli then improved, with the Italian going first and the British driver second.
Earlier in Q2, the Audi drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto returned to the track, but Bortoleto ran beyond track limits on his fast lap and was left without a time to his name. Lando Norris, in the McLaren, slotted into second at one stage, with Antonelli third and Russell fourth.
At the close of the first laps in that phase, Verstappen headed the order ahead of Hamilton and Hadjar. Liam Lawson was reported to be out of his car and likely to start ninth, with his teammate carrying a grid penalty.
What to watch
The final grid order from COTA qualifying will determine how Ferrari's practice pace translates into race conditions, and whether Antonelli's championship opportunity survives the first corner on Sunday.
