The first free practice session for the United States Grand Prix saw the domination of Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton get a big scare.
After several weeks of hiatus, Formula 1 returns to Austin, Texas, for the United States Grand Prix.
This 19th round of the 2024 F1 calendar is all the more anticipated as it takes place in the sprint format, offering drivers a single free practice session before moving on to qualifying. The challenge is significant for the teams, who must quickly adapt their settings to the specificities of the Circuit of the Americas.
Mercedes in difficulty from the first laps
With only one hour of testing available, the teams were quick to send their drivers out on track. Mercedes, despite numerous technical developments made to its single-seaters, encountered difficulties. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have both reported balance problems, particularly in fast sections of the circuit, which was recently resurfaced to limit bumps.
From the start of the session, the majority of drivers were equipped with hard tires. Max Verstappen, leading the championship, quickly established a first reference time with a time of 1:35.538. He is just ahead of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who are already showing solid pace with their Ferraris.
One of the highlights of the session was Pierre Gasly’s spin, who lost control of his Alpine at the first corner. The Frenchman, surprised by the lack of grip, admitted to having braked too late.
Lawson back and Pérez struggling
Liam Lawson, back at the wheel of the Racing Bulls to replace Daniel Ricciardo, put in a creditable performance with a 12th time. The young New Zealand driver remained four tenths behind his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Meanwhile, Sergio Pérez continues to struggle against teammate Max Verstappen. Midway through the session, the Mexican, wearing soft tires, was only able to get within eight tenths of his teammate’s time. Complaining about the behavior of his car, especially in slow corners, Pérez failed to improve his time during his last attempts.
Sainz sets the best time ahead of Leclerc
Ten minutes from the end of the session, the drivers all put on soft tires, thus restarting the debates. Carlos Sainz took the lead with a lap of 1:33.602, beating Max Verstappen by more than two tenths. Charles Leclerc came between the two men, failing only 21 thousandths behind his teammate.
For his part, Oscar Piastri, although performing well, came close to an accident while trying to optimize his entry into the pit lane. Fortunately for the Australian driver, he was able to avoid the wall and save his car at the last minute.
A promising start to the weekend for Ferrari
Ferrari’s double lead in this unique free practice session seems promising for the Italian team. Behind, Max Verstappen continues to set a strong pace, despite a Red Bull car in difficulty. The McLarens of Norris and Piastri complete the top 5, while the Mercedes struggle to find the right balance.
This weekend promises to be full of twists and turns with a very close competition between Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren, while the race for the constructor’s title is more uncertain than ever.
