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Leclerc Tops FP2 at US GP as Russell Avoids Penalty
123Helmets Editorial Team
Charles Leclerc completed a perfect opening day at the 2026 United States Grand Prix by topping second practice at the Circuit of the Americas, backing up his pace from first practice. The Ferrari driver finished Friday quickest by just 0.042s over Kimi Antonelli, while George Russell escaped a penalty after an eventful session.
Key Takeaways
Charles Leclerc was fastest in both practice sessions on Friday at the Circuit of the Americas.
His margin over Kimi Antonelli in second practice was only 0.042s.
George Russell was shown a black-and-white flag, but the investigation ended with no further action.
Max Verstappen was third, within two-tenths of Leclerc, with Lewis Hamilton and Russell completing the top five.
Leclerc Sets the Pace on Day One
Charles Leclerc ended the opening day of the 2026 United States Grand Prix as the fastest driver in both practice sessions. The Monegasque backed up his first practice pace by also topping the timesheets in FP2.
His advantage was small: just 0.042s over Kimi Antonelli. On the evidence of Friday, Leclerc appears to be the early driver to beat at the Circuit of the Americas, although practice times say little about final grid or race outcomes.
The Top Five in FP2
Leclerc, Antonelli, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell made up the top five in second practice. Verstappen was third and finished within two-tenths of Leclerc, continuing what the source describes as another positive start to a grand prix weekend for him.
Mercedes appeared to have finally unlocked performance from its recent upgrades, with Antonelli second and Russell fifth. Hamilton’s fourth place put a second Ferrari in the leading group alongside Leclerc.
Russell Avoids a Penalty After Turn 18 Incident
George Russell avoided any penalty after an investigation into forcing Charles Leclerc off the circuit ended with no further action. The incident happened at Turn 18 and was described as bizarre.
Russell was shown a black-and-white flag, a warning for unsporting behaviour, and was placed under investigation. The stewards ultimately took no further action, so no sanction carries over to the rest of the weekend.
Busy Start and Antonelli’s Garage Stop
Most of the grid left the garage quickly in FP2, unlike in most second practice sessions. Max Verstappen almost hit Liam Lawson immediately after leaving the pit lane, as the Dutchman was in a hurry to begin his race simulation.
Kimi Antonelli had a far-from-ideal start. He returned to the Mercedes garage early and jumped out of the car, as cockpit repairs were needed before he could rejoin 17 minutes into the session.
Tyre Strategies and Long Runs
The bulk of the field began their opening long run on medium tyres, while both Ferraris and McLarens ran hards. The opening long runs ended 20 minutes into FP2.
The track then briefly went quiet before drivers emerged on new soft tyres. Fans of the Ferrari driver can browse the Charles Leclerc collection.
Shop Charles Leclerc Collection
Display and collector replicas only. Not certified for protective use. Full-size 1:1 scale.
This article was written with the help of AI tools. Editorial policy
