Charles Leclerc Leads Both Friday Practices at US Grand Prix

The United States Grand Prix brought Formula 1 to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, for the eighteenth round of the 2026 season, according to CNN Brasil.

The championship stakes extended beyond the practice times. Kimi Antonelli arrived with a 102-point lead, CNN Brasil reported, while Autocar India said this weekend offered his first chance to seal the drivers' title.

On October 23, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc led the opening practice session ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, according to BBC Sport. That gave Ferrari the first fastest time of the weekend.

Leclerc stayed on top in the second session later that Friday. This time, Kimi Antonelli was his closest challenger, with Sky Sports reporting that Leclerc edged him out to complete a practice double.

Verstappen finished third in the second session, Telegraaf reported. The order behind Leclerc had changed, with Antonelli moving into second as the championship leader closed in on the Ferrari driver, according to L'Équipe.

Leclerc ended Friday with the fastest time in both sessions, but two different drivers had finished immediately behind him. BBC Sport placed Verstappen second in opening practice, while Sky Sports reported Antonelli as runner-up in the later session.

Those results establish the practice order, not the starting grid. With qualifying still to come, Leclerc's Friday double sits alongside Antonelli's opportunity to secure the championship this weekend, as reported by Autocar India.

Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, with a final practice session also on the day's programme, according to La Nacion. The next test is whether Leclerc can turn his practice pace into the leading qualifying position, with Antonelli and Verstappen having each finished a session directly behind him.