FP1: Sainz tops practice as Ferrari dominates at United States Grand Prix
In an eventful start to the United States Grand Prix weekend, Carlos Sainz led the charge for Ferrari during the sole practice session at the Circuit of The Americas, clocking the fastest time ahead of the Sprint Qualifying. In a remarkable display, Sainz narrowly outpaced his teammate Charles Leclerc and championship leader Max Verstappen, showcasing Ferrari's proficiency on the un-upgraded SF-23.
The practice session marked the return of the Sprint format, igniting a flurry of activity on track as teams sought to optimize their setups. While Ferrari and Williams opted out of introducing upgrades, most other teams, including Mercedes and Red Bull, arrived in Austin equipped with new parts aimed at enhancing performance.
Mercedes caught attention early on, but not for the reasons they would have hoped. The team's significant mid-season upgrade, described by Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin as their "most substantial update of the year," resulted in both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell experiencing spins on the recently resurfaced track.
As the session progressed, teams shifted strategies by switching to soft tyres to assess one-lap speed, leading to Sainz's impressive lap time of 1m 33.602s. His teammate Leclerc trailed by just 0.021s, with Verstappen securing third in his upgraded RB20, albeit over two tenths behind the Ferrari duo.
Lando Norris exhibited remarkable late-session pace for McLaren, locking in fourth place. He was followed by his teammate Oscar Piastri, who briefly gave McLaren a scare by misjudging an entry into the pit lane.
Hamilton and Russell's spins didn't drastically affect their standings, as they secured P6 and P7 respectively. Kevin Magnussen in the Haas, Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin, and Yuki Tsunoda's Red Bull rounded out the top ten.
Elsewhere, Nico Hulkenberg placed 11th in the lone upgraded Haas, while Pierre Gasly's recovery from an early spin saw him finish 12th in his visually striking orange-livery Alpine.
Newcomer Liam Lawson, stepping in for Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull for the rest of the season, marked his presence with a 13th-place finish, followed by Williams' Alex Albon. Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin settled in at 15th.
The lower half of the grid saw Sergio Perez struggle to 16th, ahead of Alpine's Esteban Ocon. Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu shared P18 and P20, with Franco Colapinto placing 19th for Williams.
As the teams now transition into parc ferme conditions ahead of Sprint Qualifying and the Sprint race, they'll have limited opportunities to refine their setups before traditional qualifying resumes on Saturday. The stage is set for a thrilling weekend as drivers and teams navigate the unique challenges of the Sprint format in Austin.
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