Leclerc Puts Ferrari on Top in Austin Open

Ferrari is flying high in Texas! Charles Leclerc kicked off the United States Grand Prix weekend by setting the fastest time in opening practice, proving that the team's latest car upgrades are working beautifully.

The Monegasque driver looked comfortable from the get-go under the bright Austin sun, ultimately beating out his main rivals, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, to claim the top spot.

It wasn't really a smooth start for everyone, though. Verstappen complained early on about a strange friction in his steering wheel when turning left, but the Red Bull ace still managed to lock in the second-fastest time. Right behind him was Norris , keeping McLaren firmly in the podium hunt.

Over at Mercedes, all eyes were on the young phenom Kimi Antonelli , who has a real shot at wrapping up his first world championship this weekend. He put on a stellar performance to finish fourth, just ahead of his teammate George Russell . Russell had to overcome some sudden, nasty understeer, making his top-five finish on the harder, slower tyres even more impressive. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton brought the second Ferrari home in sixth after pushing Leclerc hard in the early stages of the hour.

Further down the pit lane, fresh faces got some valuable track time. Colton Herta swapped his IndyCar for Sergio Perez's Cadillac seat for the session, running massive sensor rigs alongside Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto to gather data.

Ferrari looks seriously fast, and Mercedes isn't far behind either. It's shaping up to be an absolute thriller of a weekend.

Barbara Cardilli – Motorsport & Lifestyle Expert

Image credit: CBAimages