Charles Leclerc topped both Friday practice sessions at Austin, but cautioned that Ferrari’s revised floor, sidepod inlet and diffuser are not a dramatic performance breakthrough. He said Ferrari found a strong setup early, while rivals may have more speed to unlock ahead of qualifying and Sunday’s race.

By the Numbers
  • Leclerc led FP1 by 0.084 seconds over Max Verstappen.
  • He led FP2 by 0.042 seconds over Kimi Antonelli.
  • Ferrari’s last win came at the British Grand Prix, round 9.
  • Fred Vasseur said 5 or 6 cars could contend for pole.
Yes, But

Friday’s timesheets are not a reliable forecast of qualifying pace: Vasseur said the field is tightly matched, and Leclerc expects Verstappen and Antonelli to be strong. He also suggested McLaren had not yet shown its full potential.

State of Play
  • Ferrari’s updated car showed promising balance in practice, with Leclerc leading both sessions.
  • The team says it still needs to understand the new package and fine-tune the setup.
What’s Next

Qualifying will offer a clearer measure of Ferrari’s pace, but traffic and rivals’ untapped speed could change the picture. Ferrari plans to keep working on the car before Saturday’s session.

Bottom Line

Ferrari has made a strong start in Austin, not proven a breakthrough. The real test is whether Leclerc’s Friday pace holds when the field shows its full hand.