Carlos Sainz narrowly edged out Charles Leclerc in a Ferrari one-two finish during the only practice session ahead of Sprint Qualifying for the 2024 United States Grand Prix. Title contenders Max Verstappen and Lando Norris were closely matched as they finished third and fourth in the session.
Sainz topped the timesheets at the Circuit of the Americas, beating his teammate Leclerc by just 0.021 seconds. Ferrari showed strong pace as Formula 1 returned from a four-week break.
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Verstappen and Norris, battling for the Drivers’ Championship, were two-tenths behind the Ferraris but separated by only 0.013 seconds. Verstappen led Norris by 52 points in the standings with six races to go, though Norris had been slowly closed the gap to the reigning champion.
The title fight had intensified after Red Bull made changes to a controversial ride-height device, which may have impacted their performance.
There had been speculation that the device allowed Red Bull to adjust the car’s ride height during parc fermé conditions, which would violate F1 regulations. Red Bull insisted the component couldn’t be used improperly, as it was inaccessible once the car was fully assembled.
Verstappen was the first of the leading drivers to set a time on the soft tyres, which meant he faced less than optimal track conditions. Despite this, he was only 0.253 seconds behind Sainz. Norris finished just 0.266 seconds off the pace, with his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri close behind in fifth. Both Red Bull and McLaren introduced upgrades for the Austin race.
Lewis Hamilton was 0.361 seconds off Sainz’s time, while George Russell finished another tenth behind, as Mercedes appeared to find good grip on the soft compound tyres. However, they struggled on the harder tyres, which will be crucial for both the Sprint and main Grand Prix.
Haas’ Kevin Magnussen secured eighth, followed by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in ninth, and RB’s Yuki Tsunoda rounding out the top 10. Tsunoda and Liam Lawson, battling for a chance to potentially become Verstappen’s teammate next year, depending on Sergio Perez’s performance over the remaining races.
Perez, under contract with Red Bull until 2025, finished a disappointing 16th in practice, a full second off the pace. Lawson, who replaced the injured Daniel Ricciardo, finished 13th. His car with a new power unit, exceeding the season limit, which meant he’d start at the back of the grid for Sunday’s main race.
United States GP FP1 Results
2024 United States Grand Prix FP1, 18 October 2024
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