Leclerc fastest, Hamilton fourth for Ferrari in second United States Grand Prix practice
Scuderia Ferrari HP set the fastest time of the second free practice session for the United States Grand Prix with Charles Leclerc, while Lewis Hamilton ended the hour in fourth.
- 1'35"291
- 1'35"906
- 30 laps
- 26 laps
What Happened
Ferrari began the second free practice session on the Hard tyres, with Charles Leclerc recording a 1'36"510 and Lewis Hamilton a 1'36"973. The pair then switched to the Soft compound, on which the Monegasque set a 1'35"291 and his team-mate a 1'35"906. Towards the end of the session both cars completed a long run on the Soft tyres. By the end of the hour Leclerc had completed 30 laps, four more than Hamilton.
- Hard: 1'36"510 / Soft: 1'35"291
- Hard: 1'36"973 / Soft: 1'35"906
1'35"291
Set by Charles Leclerc on the Soft tyres in the second free practice session at the Circuit of The Americas.
- Session: second free practice for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin
- Ferrari result: Charles Leclerc fastest, Lewis Hamilton fourth
- Lap counts: Leclerc 30 laps, Hamilton 26
- Running order: Hard tyres first, then Soft tyres, then a long run on the Softs
- Session date: 23 October 2026
The session was held at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin as part of the United States Grand Prix weekend. Ferrari's two cars ended it first and fourth, with Leclerc ahead of his team-mate on both tyre compounds. The team's report of the session is dated 24 October 2026.
Previously from Ferrari N.V.
At the previous Grand Prix in Singapore, Charles Leclerc finished second and Lewis Hamilton sixth, giving Ferrari its 11th podium of the season. Earlier that same weekend, Hamilton took second and Leclerc third in a rain-delayed Singapore Sprint, earning Scuderia Ferrari HP 13 points, the most of any team.
- Leclerc takes second at Singapore Grand Prix as Hamilton finishes sixth for Ferrari
- Verstappen wins rain-delayed Singapore Sprint; Hamilton second and Leclerc third for Ferrari
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ferrari N.V.'s official releases.
Why this matters
This was the second practice hour of the United States Grand Prix weekend at the Circuit of The Americas, so it is one of the first measures of how the cars are running at the Austin track. Ferrari reports both of its drivers near the front, with Leclerc quickest of the field and Hamilton fourth, ahead of the rest of the weekend's sessions.
Terms in This Story
- Free practice
- Timed practice sessions held before qualifying and the race, used by teams to check car set-ups and tyre behaviour.
- Tyre compound
- The mix of rubber a tyre is made from; harder compounds are built to last longer, while softer ones generally give more grip over a short run.
- Long run
- A continuous series of laps in practice meant to simulate race pace and show how the tyres wear over distance.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.