Leclerc Tops Practice at US Grand Prix, Mercedes Trials Upgrades

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc set the pace in the first practice session for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen close behind. The session saw Mercedes return both their cars to an upgraded specification that was previously introduced but has yet to be fully optimized.

The Mercedes team believes the recent upgrade holds significant performance potential but has struggled to find the ideal setup to harness it. They are hopeful that a standard race weekend, including three practice sessions, will allow them to fine-tune the car. This approach comes after the team's previous experiences with the upgrade have raised questions about its comparative effectiveness.

Ferrari also brought a new floor design to Austin. However, both Leclerc and his teammate Lewis Hamilton downplayed its expected impact. Hamilton indicated that the upgrade was minor, estimating it would provide less than a tenth of a second in performance gain, potentially around half a tenth. He suggested that the car's performance relative to rivals might also be influenced by the track's characteristics and potential variations in competitor performance.