First Free Practice Results & Report 2023 USA F1 Grand Prix

Event: USA Grand Prix
Track: Circuit of the Americas

Weather: dry  33.1°C
Tarmac: dry  39.4°C
Humidity : 18%
Wind : 4.3 km/h S
Pressure: 997 mbar

The F1 circus returns to Austin for a scorching session

Free Practice 1 for the 2023 USA F1 Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) witnessed the likes of Lando Norris and reigning world champion Max Verstappen put in impressive stints. With this being a Sprint weekend, the importance of FP1 magnified, as teams only had one hour to nail their setups.

Top Performers

Verstappen, the newly crowned world champion, showed strong form throughout the session. With an impressive two-year winning streak at COTA and coming off back-to-back victories, the Red Bull driver topped the timing sheets with a blazing lap on softs, beating his competitors by a significant margin.

Norris, who faced disappointment due to track limits in the previous Qatar race, bounced back strongly. Despite running on the medium tires, he managed to clock in a time that was faster than many of his competitors, placing him right behind Verstappen.

Eye-catching Moments

AlphaTauri's Daniel Ricciardo, making his return after an injury layoff since the Zandvoort race, showed glimpses of his class. He finished in the top 10, albeit a few tenths slower than his teammate. On the other hand, McLaren's Oscar Piastri had a massive moment in Turn 8, nearly losing control of his car. A display of sheer skill saw him save the car from what could have been a disastrous crash.

Teams to Watch

Red Bull looks to be in prime position, especially with Verstappen's commanding performance. Meanwhile, the American team, Haas, arrived with significant upgrades resembling the Red Bull aero package. While their performance improved, the limited practice time meant it was a race against time for their drivers to adapt.

Williams, despite not being favorites, caught attention with both Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant performing well. Albon especially, who has been a revelation this season, topped the charts for a brief moment on soft tires.

Challenges Ahead

With a mere hour of practice time, it was paramount for teams to avoid any reliability issues. Unfortunately, Aston Martin's Lance Stroll faced a setback, having to end his session prematurely due to problems with his car's front brakes.

The Circuit of The Americas is known for its challenging track conditions, with its bumps and elevation changes. Sainz, driving for Ferrari, relayed concerns about his car's behavior on the main straight, emphasizing the difficulty of choosing the ideal racing line.

Wrapping Up

As the clock winded down, several teams opted to run the soft compound, gearing up for the Sprint weekend. The track's evolving nature, with rubber laying down, promises more action as the weekend unfolds.

Anticipation builds for the Sprint Shootout and the Sprint race itself, with valuable points up for grabs for the top finishers. Given the unpredictability and the limited practice time, this weekend promises to be a spectacle for fans.

Halfway this first practice session the top 10 order was: 1. Lewis Hamilton 1:37.394 (H), 2. Max Verstappen +0.104 (H), 3. Lando Norris +0.211 (M), 4. Yuki Tsunoda +0.606 (M), 5. Kevin Magnussen +0.706 (M), .6. Charles Leclerc +0.830 (H), 7. Segio Pérez +0.926 (H), 8. Daniel Ricciardo +0.931 (M), 9. Guanyu Zhou +0.974 (M), 10 Oscar Piastri +1.026 (M)

The quickest sector times during FP1 were set by:

• Sector 1: 25.822 sec. by Charles Leclerc with the Ferrari SF-23.
• Sector 2: 38.652 sec. by Lewis Hamilton with the Mercedes W14.
• Sector 3: 31.377 sec. by Max Verstappen with the Red Bull RB19.

The quickest lap time of last years FP1 was a 1:36,857 min driven by Carlos Sainz with the Ferrari F1-75.

FP1 Times Table 2023 USA F1 GP

✅ Check out our 2023 USA Formula 1 Grand Prix preview.

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