Ferrari’s first indications from Austin FP1 are encouraging through the corners but far more concerning on the straights. The Circuit of the Americas is one of the most complete tracks on the Formula 1 calendar, with a variety of corners and characteristics capable of testing almost every aspect of a car, making the opening practice session of the United States Grand Prix particularly useful for assessing Ferrari’s important new SF-26 aerodynamic package. The initial impression is of a Ferrari that is highly competitive through the corners, with more usable downforce, but also one carrying a remarkably large straight-line-speed deficit. At the front, meanwhile, Max Verstappen and Red Bull already appear ready to start the weekend among the favourites.
One clarification is important when looking at the telemetry comparison. Max Verstappen’s fastest lap, which was subsequently deleted for track limits, has been used as the reference. The infringement does not significantly affect the interpretation of the overall performance, so that lap remains useful as a performance benchmark, especially as it was the fastest absolute time recorded during the session. The wider programme for the 2026 United States Grand Prix weekend at COTA should provide much more evidence as the teams continue refining their cars.
Ferrari Austin FP1 analysis: more downforce and balance, but a major straight-line problem
Ferrari was probably the most interesting car to watch during the opening session because it provided the first opportunity to assess the effect of the new aerodynamic package. The early signs are encouraging in terms of cornering behaviour. Downforce appears to have increased and, above all, the SF-26 looks particularly well balanced through medium- and high-speed corners.
There still appears to be some work to do in the slower sections, but the Ferrari demonstrates a notable ability to generate lateral grip. That points both to significant aerodynamic load and effective use of the tyres. Charles Leclerc’s passage through the so-called “snake”, spanning the end of the first sector and beginning of the second, is the best of anyone. It reinforces the impression of a car that is stable, fast and responsive, with the strong front-end behaviour Charles Leclerc prefers.
That positive picture is offset, however, by the straight-line-speed figures. Charles Leclerc loses 11 km/h to Max Verstappen on the first acceleration zone, 10 km/h before the snake, 9 km/h before Turn 11 and as much as 18 km/h on the extremely long back straight. Those are striking numbers, particularly considering this is only the first session of the weekend, when teams tend to remain conservative with power-unit settings.
Between Turn 8 and Turn 12, Charles Leclerc loses no less than 0.558 seconds to Max Verstappen, an enormous amount of time that disappears entirely on the straight. The impression from the energy deployment is that Ferrari has, for now, chosen to concentrate much of its available energy during the acceleration phases out of corners, accepting a significant loss later along the straights.
There may also be an increase in aerodynamic drag associated with the new configuration. The trade-off, however, appears to be more usable downforce through the corners and under acceleration. Recorded speeds should always be considered in context because deployment, aerodynamic configuration, traffic and corner exit can all influence the numbers; the wider field can be explored using the ScuderiaFans F1 Top Speed Comparison.
This characteristic is particularly interesting through the sequence of three right-hand corners in the third sector, where Charles Leclerc is highly competitive and adopts an approach that maximises speed under high lateral load. It is another indication that Ferrari has found a strong aerodynamic platform and excellent lateral grip.
The key question is whether the enormous deficit on the straights is simply the consequence of temporary energy-management choices — and perhaps ADUO 1 given that it is Friday — or whether the size of the gap seen in FP1 represents a limitation Ferrari will have to manage throughout the weekend. For now, one conclusion is clear: the SF-26 does not appear short of performance through the corners. Ferrari’s previously identified slow-corner compromise and the potential impact of the Austin upgrades will therefore be another important area to follow as setup work continues.
Red Bull: Max Verstappen returns to a familiar winning formula
Red Bull appears to have picked up exactly where it left off, immediately establishing itself as one of the leading contenders. Max Verstappen’s car is not especially outstanding through the medium- and high-speed sections, but it manages to limit the losses there before recovering everything — and often more — during acceleration and along the straights.
It has become a fairly characteristic trait of the Red Bull, which continues to display excellent overall efficiency. Max Verstappen is also particularly impressive through the slow section of the third sector, the so-called horseshoe corners, once again demonstrating his ability to extract the maximum from the car in the slower turns. Red Bull’s recent emergence as Ferrari’s latest performance benchmark therefore appears to remain highly relevant at Austin.
An interesting difference also emerges through the sequence of three right-hand corners in the final sector. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris use a markedly different interpretation from Charles Leclerc and George Russell. The contrast in approach was particularly noticeable throughout the session, and it will be worth following in the remaining practice running to understand how much is dictated by the characteristics of the cars and how much comes down to individual driver choices.
McLaren improves while Mercedes searches for the right operating window
McLaren showed better signs than in the most recent races, with Lando Norris appearing to have recovered some competitiveness. The initial impression is that McLaren may be running a slightly lower-downforce configuration, although further comparisons will be required to understand how effective that choice can be around such a varied circuit.
The Mercedes situation appears more complicated. The team still seems to be in a phase of studying and optimising its package, with the main difficulties emerging under braking and on corner entry. The front end struggles to provide the desired rotation, particularly through the slower sections.
The problem appears both in longer slow corners, where the car lacks the ability to maintain rotation, and in shorter turns, where it struggles to change direction rapidly. The third sector is consequently particularly difficult for the Mercedes drivers. On the very long back straight, however, the car reaches high speeds, helped by energy management that appears to concentrate a significant proportion of the available deployment in that section.
Austin is nevertheless probably one of the best circuits for investigating these characteristics because of the sheer variety of corners and situations it offers. For Mercedes, the weekend could therefore also become an opportunity for experimentation with 2027 in mind.
Austin FP1 provides clues, but Ferrari still needs more answers
For now, all of these conclusions remain only early indications, as is always the case after the first free practice session. Yet on a spectacular and technically complete circuit such as Austin, there is already plenty to analyse. Ferrari has shown encouraging cornering performance and an apparently stronger aerodynamic platform, while its straight-line losses remain the clearest question mark.
The next sessions will be crucial in establishing which of these characteristics are truly structural and which are simply consequences of the preparation work being carried out during the early stages of the United States Grand Prix weekend.
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