Leclerc tops Austin FP1 after Verstappen’s faster lap is deleted
Conceptual AI-generated editorial motorsport illustration; not a documentary photograph or evidence that a pictured event, meeting or transfer occurred. · 2026-10-23GPBeat newsroom · News Made Clear generated illustration
Charles Leclerc set Friday’s fastest time in first practice at the Circuit of the Americas. Max Verstappen’s 1:35.860 effort was about two tenths quicker, but he lost the lap after apparently falling foul of track limits and finished second.
Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in Friday’s first practice for the 2026 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. His Ferrari clocked 1:36.052, 0.084 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen’s 1:36.136.
Verstappen’s 1:35.860 effort was about two tenths faster than Leclerc’s, but he lost the lap after apparently falling foul of track limits. That left the Red Bull driver second in the session.
Lando Norris was third for McLaren, with Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli completing the top five.
Sources 01
- SOURCELIVE: Reaction as Ferrari draws first blood in Austin as Verstappen loses best lapRacingNews365 English
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