US GP: Carlos Sainz overtakes Max Verstappen in Practice One timesheets

Carlos Sainz topped Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton to set the fastest time in Practice One at the US GP; Charles Leclerc was the fastest in Practice Two because it was mostly focused on testing Pirelli tires; watch the Qualifiers on Sky Sports F1 from 10pm on Saturday

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Ride on board with Carlos Sainz as he goes fastest in his first practice at the US Grand Prix.

Ferrari set the pace during Friday’s practice at the United States Grand Prix as Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc each topped a session in Austin.

Sainz’s 1:36,857 put him 0.2 seconds ahead of newly crowned world champion Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in a Practice One match, with Lewis Hamilton further in the tenth finishing third as Mercedes showed potential after bringing new upgrades to Texas.

Leclerc, one of only five riders to be able to run consistently in Practice Two, sat out the opening session as the teams completed their junior race obligations, then slightly faster than the other. his Ferrari teammates to top the timesheet.

Practice Two at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas was used for Pirelli to test the 2023 prototypes, with drivers unable to make setup changes as they tested unmarked compounds while making their plans. The running schedule is set by the tire manufacturer F1.

However, Leclerc, along with Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo, Kevin Magnussen and Nicholas Latifi, were allowed to run for 30 minutes at the start of the extended 90-minute half, in which Monegasque provided a strong FP1 support to his teammate. performance.

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Charles Leclerc topped the timesheet in his second practice at the US Grand Prix.

The opening had a refreshing feel with five driver roster changes – including four FP1 debutants – with the most notable absence of Leclerc being replaced by Robert Shwartzman.

While the new faces enjoyed their first F1 experience, Antonio Giovinazzi turned down his chance to put himself in the driving race for Haas next season when he crashed Magnussen’s car at a very early stage. opening sequence, triggering a red flag and dealing damage that knocks him out for the rest of the session.

Lance Stroll finished fourth in another encouraging performance from Aston Martin, beating Sergio Perez’s second Red Bull to finish fifth.

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Antonio Giovinazzi caused a red flag just seven minutes into his first game after hitting a fence and damaging his car.

Ferrari academy driver Shwartzman was joined by young students Alex Palou (McLaren), Theo Pourchaire (Alfa Romeo) and Logan Sargeant (Williams), but it was the relatively experienced Giovinazzi who made the rookie mistake.

Minutes after the start of the round, the 28-year-old Italian turned around in turn 6 before slamming into the fence. He initially appeared to be stuck there as the red flags were waved, but eventually moved and was able to get the car back to the Haas garage.

However, clutch damage has prevented him from getting back on track, and most likely ended his hopes of challenging Mick Schumacher for his seat with the team next season.

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Sky F1’s Anthony Davidson is at the SkyPad to analyze the opening practice session at the US Grand Prix.

Verstappen, who claimed his second straight title – with four races to spare – by winning in Japan earlier this month, appeared to be continuing his dominant form as he booked speed as soon as the session resumes.

Hamilton spoke on Thursday of his hopes that Mercedes’ upgrades could bring them closer to Red Bull, but early signs are negative as he and teammate George Russell remain slow to pace. 4 seconds in the first half of the session.

However, when the seven-time world champion switched to soft tyres, he was immediately close to Verstappen by a few tenths, while Russell – who finished seventh – was nearly half a second behind.

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Martin Brundle followed up to analyze the ‘difficult’ 15th turn of the US Grand Prix.

But then there’s Sainz, when Ferrari once again showed strong pace on Friday, outpacing Verstappen by six tenths. The Dutchman tried to respond but was frustrated after being unable to threaten the Spaniard’s time.

“There must be something wrong with the car because I don’t have the front end and the speed is low,” Verstappen said over team radio at the end of the session.

During the session it was confirmed that Red Bull’s Perez and Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu will receive penalties for the five-tier grid in Sunday’s race after purchasing new engine parts, while Ferrari has admitted both Their drivers will likely use new parts that will also remove them down the grid.

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Lando Norris dashed into the pitlane and nearly hit a wall during the second game of the US Grand Prix.

The penalties look set to help Red Bull win the constructors’ championship, with Ferrari needing 19 points above the lead to extend the competition to the Mexican Grand Prix next weekend.

The penalties could also affect the drivers’ battle for second place, with Perez currently leading Leclerc by just one point.

US GP weekend has begun in the shadow of F1’s ongoing cost cap saga, with the stage awaiting announcement on how Red Bull will be punished for breaching the 2021 spending cap.

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Sky Sports News’ Craig Slater provides new insight and analysis into F1’s cost cap story ahead of what is sure to be a dramatic weekend in Texas.

Red Bull chief Christian Horner prepares to face the media during the team principal’s press conference on Saturday at 5:25 p.m., live on Sports skyThe F1 community is eagerly awaiting updates on the situation.

With a limited run on Friday due to tire checks, Exercise Three is likely to take on more importance the Saturday before Qualifying, with both sessions taking place. Sky Sports F1, at 8pm and 11pm respectively.