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Leclerc expects Mercedes and Red Bull to find more pace before US GP qualifying

Conceptual AI-generated editorial motorsport illustration; not a documentary photograph or evidence that a pictured event, meeting or transfer occurred. · 2026-10-24GPBeat newsroom · News Made Clear generated illustration

Charles Leclerc topped both Friday practice sessions at the United States Grand Prix, but expects Mercedes and Red Bull to find more pace than Ferrari before qualifying.

Charles Leclerc was fastest in both Friday practice sessions at the United States Grand Prix, but he expects Mercedes and Red Bull to find more pace than Ferrari before qualifying.

Leclerc said Ferrari’s SF-26 update felt good, although it was not the major step he had heard or read about. He described the changes as small improvements visible on the car. Ferrari’s good balance at the start of the weekend, he said, was Friday’s most positive point.

Ferrari still has a little more performance to find, Leclerc said. He expects the other teams to push harder towards qualifying, as they usually do; in his view, the competition also appears to gain more than Ferrari from Friday to Saturday. With the gap small, he said, qualifying will not be easy.

Sources 01
  1. SOURCELeclerc zeer waakzaam voor Verstappen en co: "Als ik het kleine verschil zie..."RacingNews365 Nederland

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