Charles Leclerc Leads US Grand Prix Practice in Austin
Ferrari driver sets fastest pace as teams debut new technical upgrades at Circuit of the Americas.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Motorsports
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Charles Leclerc set the fastest practice time today at the U.S. Grand Prix as racing teams debuted technical changes at Circuit of the Americas. Mercedes shifted back to a previous upgrade specification, while Ferrari outfitted both cars with a new floor design for the weekend.
Why it matters
Teams are fine-tuning vehicle performance on the Austin track as they look to maximize speed during a high-stakes race weekend. The adjustments reflect a push to resolve setup issues and extract incremental gains from vehicle floors and aerodynamic configurations.
Ferrari's new floor upgrade provides a performance gain of half a tenth of a second compared to the prior configuration. Whether these technical adjustments will shift the competitive hierarchy during the remainder of the Grand Prix weekend remains unknown.
The players
Charles Leclerc
The Ferrari driver who clocked the fastest time during U.S. Grand Prix practice sessions.
Max Verstappen
The driver who recorded the second-fastest practice time at the circuit.
Mercedes
The Formula 1 racing team that reverted both its cars to a previous upgrade specification for the weekend.
Ferrari
The racing team that equipped its cars with a new floor design at the U.S. Grand Prix.
The details
Leclerc led the field during practice on October 23, followed by Max Verstappen in second. Mercedes reverted both cars to the upgrade specification used in Malaysia two races ago, aiming for a consistent weekend with three practice sessions to improve car setup. Ferrari opted for a new floor design on both vehicles to capture minor performance improvements.
Timeline
October 23, 2026: Charles Leclerc set the fastest practice pace.
Two races ago: Mercedes introduced their initial upgrade specification in Malaysia.
The Texas Context
The performance gain of half a tenth of a second from Formula 1 aerodynamic floor upgrades provides a baseline for evaluating engineering efforts at Circuit of the Americas. This focus on marginal gains reflects the ongoing trend of teams optimizing vehicle configurations during the U.S. Grand Prix.
Fans heading to Circuit of the Americas for the remainder of the Grand Prix weekend should prepare for high-traffic conditions on the surrounding corridors. Spectators can track how these technical changes hold up on the track through the final practice sessions and qualifying rounds.
The takeaway
Keep an eye on the lap time differences as Ferrari and Mercedes test their updated vehicle specs throughout the weekend. Watch for whether the Mercedes team can successfully utilize the additional practice sessions to stabilize their car setup for race day.
Further reading
For more updates from the track, visit our Motorsports section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by VANNY RADIO.
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