Austin, United States, October 24, 2026: Charles Leclerc set the pace for Ferrari in Free Practice 2 at the 2026 FIA Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, narrowly beating Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli by just 0.042 seconds at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA). Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished third, ensuring the top three drivers were separated by less than two-tenths of a second.

Leclerc posted a fastest lap of 1:35.291 to lead the session, with Antonelli recording a 1:35.333. Verstappen was third with a 1:35.480, just 0.189 seconds off the Ferrari driver’s benchmark. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth in the second Ferrari, while George Russell completed the top five for Mercedes.

Leclerc leads closely fought FP2 session

The second practice session began with Verstappen setting the early benchmark on medium tyres with a lap of 1:36.581. The order changed several times as drivers completed their initial runs, with Russell moving to the top on a 1:36.035 before Verstappen responded.

Track limits proved a recurring challenge around the demanding Austin circuit, with several lap times deleted. McLaren’s Lando Norris briefly occupied the top position on hard tyres, while teammate Oscar Piastri locked up at Turn 12 during his early running.

Antonelli also encountered an issue with his Mercedes, reporting that his seat was moving significantly over the circuit’s bumps. The team made adjustments before sending the Italian back out on track.

The session intensified when the leading drivers switched to soft tyres for their qualifying simulations. Isack Hadjar was among the first to make the change, recording a 1:36.134, although the Red Bull driver subsequently reported significant front-tyre degradation at high speed.

Russell briefly took the lead with a 1:35.793 before Verstappen improved to 1:35.480, gaining time through a particularly strong middle sector. Leclerc then delivered the fastest lap of the session, clocking 1:35.291 to move ahead of the Red Bull driver.

Antonelli came close to matching Leclerc’s pace, finishing just 0.042 seconds behind the Ferrari. Verstappen remained third, 0.189 seconds off the leading time, setting up a closely contested battle among Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull ahead of the remaining competitive sessions.

Hamilton recorded a 1:35.906 to finish fourth, while Russell was fifth in 1:36.035.

McLaren finishes seventh and eighth

Liam Lawson led the midfield runners in sixth place for Racing Bulls with a 1:36.331. Norris and Piastri followed in seventh and eighth respectively, with the McLaren teammates separated by just 0.014 seconds.

Hadjar finished ninth for Red Bull, while Haas driver Oliver Bearman completed the top 10 with a 1:36.536.

Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto was 11th, ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in 12th. Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad finished 13th, followed by Haas driver Esteban Ocon in 14th.

Franco Colapinto placed 15th for Alpine, ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll in 16th and 17th respectively. Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg was 18th.

Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas finished 19th, narrowly ahead of Williams driver Carlos Sainz. Sergio Pérez was 21st for Cadillac, while Alexander Albon endured a difficult session to finish 22nd, more than eight seconds off Leclerc’s benchmark.

Williams faced particular challenges, with Sainz describing his car as a mess and Albon struggling to put together a clean lap.

Tyre management a key focus ahead of the US GP

As the session progressed, teams shifted their attention from outright pace to longer runs, gathering data on tyre performance and race pace ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Verstappen completed a longer stint on soft tyres, while Hadjar evaluated the medium compound. McLaren split its approach, with Norris running the hard tyres and Piastri using the softs.

Tyre management appeared likely to play an important role at COTA, with several drivers reporting sliding, lock-ups and difficulties maintaining control while pushing on the demanding circuit. Hamilton also struggled to keep his Ferrari on track and sampled the hard compound during the closing stages.

While Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull appeared closely matched over a single lap, the longer runs would provide teams with additional information about race-day performance and tyre degradation.

With Leclerc leading Antonelli by just 0.042 seconds and Verstappen only 0.189 seconds behind, the second practice session offered little to separate the three leading contenders. Qualifying simulations and race-pace data from the remaining running will be crucial in determining the competitive order for the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.

2026 F1 United States Grand Prix: Free Practice 2 Results

Note: The gaps are measured against Leclerc’s fastest lap of 1:35.291. Team names are shortened for readability.