Charles Leclerc ended FP2 for the United States Grand Prix at the top of the timesheets, confirming Ferrari’s encouraging start to the weekend at the Circuit of the Americas. Kimi Antonelli finished less than a tenth behind the Ferrari driver, with Max Verstappen almost two tenths adrift and Lewis Hamilton completing the session in fourth position.
Ferrari therefore reinforced the positive impressions already seen during FP1 and, barring any major surprises as the weekend develops, appears capable of fighting at the front in Austin. Mercedes and Red Bull also showed strong pace and look set to challenge Ferrari for the leading positions, while McLaren appeared slightly further back after once again adopting a more conservative Friday approach than its main rivals. The full timetable for the 2026 United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin includes FP3 and qualifying on Saturday before Sunday’s race.
Ferrari stays on top as Mercedes and Red Bull remain close
Conditions at the start of FP2 were very similar to those seen during the opening practice session, with an air temperature of 29°C and the track at around 42°C. Ferrari began the session on the hard tyres, a compound it had not used during FP1. McLaren made the same choice, while Red Bull and Mercedes opted for the medium compound.
After the first attempts at competitive lap times, Max Verstappen moved into first position ahead of the Mercedes cars of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Isack Hadjar and Lando Norris followed, while laps from both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were deleted for exceeding track limits.
On his next attempt, Charles Leclerc moved up to second place, just 0.050 seconds behind Max Verstappen. Moments later, George Russell went fastest, opening a margin of around three tenths over Lando Norris and Isack Hadjar. Kimi Antonelli, meanwhile, returned to the pits because of a problem with his seat as Mercedes worked to resolve the issue.
Max Verstappen soon reclaimed first place, around a tenth clear of George Russell and approximately four tenths ahead of Lando Norris. Ferrari also aligned the specifications of its two cars during the session, with Lewis Hamilton switching to the new package of updates. The development follows Ferrari’s planned Austin upgrade programme for the SF-26.
Charles Leclerc subsequently improved to fifth, almost six tenths away from Max Verstappen’s benchmark. The opening stint ended with Max Verstappen leading George Russell, Lando Norris, Isack Hadjar and Charles Leclerc, while Kimi Antonelli returned to the circuit after his earlier seat problem appeared to have been resolved.
Charles Leclerc takes control in the FP2 qualifying simulations
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli then moved into third position at the end of his flying lap, around three tenths away from the Red Bull benchmark. Attention gradually switched towards qualifying simulations as the drivers moved onto the softest available tyre compound.
Charles Leclerc immediately moved to the top after his first flying lap on the softer tyres, with Max Verstappen almost two tenths behind and Lewis Hamilton around six tenths away. A few minutes later, Kimi Antonelli completed his own attempt and climbed to second position, less than half a tenth behind Charles Leclerc.
McLaren initially occupied only seventh and eighth places with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri respectively, both more than a second away from the fastest lap. Oscar Piastri later improved to fifth, reducing his deficit to Charles Leclerc to around seven tenths.
Charles Leclerc’s long-run pace adds to Ferrari optimism
Charles Leclerc was the first driver to begin a race simulation, continuing on the soft tyre he had already used earlier in the session. Almost ten minutes later, the rest of the field began their longer runs. Mercedes used the medium compound, while Red Bull split its programme with Max Verstappen on softs and Isack Hadjar on mediums.
McLaren also divided its strategy, sending Lando Norris out on the hard tyre while Oscar Piastri used the soft. Ferrari chose the softer compound for Lewis Hamilton as well. With the teams running different tyres and potentially different fuel loads, the longer stints offered a more complex picture than the headline FP2 classification alone; the session can be explored further through the F1 Practice & Long-Run Analysis.
Charles Leclerc’s high-fuel simulation was particularly encouraging. Despite running on a fairly worn set of tyres, the Ferrari driver maintained consistent pace throughout the stint and managed the phase of higher degradation well. Mercedes and Red Bull also looked strong, although their fuel loads were almost certainly lower than the one carried by Charles Leclerc.
Lewis Hamilton had a more difficult time and still appeared to be searching for the right balance with Ferrari’s new upgrade package. FP2 ultimately ended with Charles Leclerc in first position ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton was fourth, followed by George Russell, Liam Lawson, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Isack Hadjar and Oliver Bearman.
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