Leclerc leads Verstappen in Austin F1 practice ahead of Antonelli title showdown
· Sports · BBC Sport, Formula 1
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc set the pace in opening practice for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, finishing 0.084 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, the championship-contending rookie, was fifth fastest, 0.481 seconds off the pace, with Lando Norris and George Russell ahead of him in third and fourth. Leclerc's teammate Lewis Hamilton qualified sixth, ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri, while Mercedes reverted to an upgraded specification introduced in Malaysia ahead of the three-session weekend. Hamilton played down the impact of Ferrari's new floor upgrade, calling it less than a tenth of a second, but team boss Toto Wolff believes the package holds untapped performance if the set-up is found.
Why it matters
The outcome of the first practice session sets the stage for a rare mid-season title decider, as Antonelli can only win the championship in Austin if he wins the race while Russell finishes outside the top eight and Hamilton outside the top four.
Read the original report — BBC Sport
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