Ferrari's Charles Leclerc narrowly edged out Kimi Antonelli to complete a Friday practice double at the United States Grand Prix. After topping Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the opening session, Leclerc improved by nearly eight-tenths of a second to finish 0.042s ahead of Mercedes' Antonelli, who could become F1's youngest ever world champion on Sunday. Verstappen finished third, within a couple of tenths of Leclerc's leading time of 1:35.291s.
Lewis Hamilton settled for fourth, over six-tenths behind his teammate, while George Russell was fifth. Antonelli, despite a loose seat early in the session, remains in title contention and can clinch the championship if he wins and rivals do not score enough points. Ferrari brought upgrades to the floor, sidepod, and diffuser, aiming to end an eight-race winless streak, though Leclerc urged caution.
McLaren struggled, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finishing seventh and eighth.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing