First Free Practice Results & Report 2024 USA F1 Grand Prix

Max Verstappen driving the (1) Red Bull Racing RB20 on track during practice ahead of the 2024 F1 Grand Prix of United States at Circuit of The Americas

Event: USA Grand Prix
Track: Circuit of the Americas

Weather: dry  25.8°C
Tarmac: dry  36.2°C
Humidity : 51%
Wind : 8.6 km/h South

Sainz Tops Opening Practice as Tricky Conditions Challenge Drivers

The first and only practice session ahead of the 2024 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas was full of drama, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz setting the pace in tricky conditions. As teams and drivers grappled with a resurfaced and windy track, there were spins, close calls, and surprising performances.

Ferrari Sets the Early Benchmark

Carlos Sainz set the fastest lap of the session, clocking a 1m 33.602s on soft tyres, narrowly beating his teammate Charles Leclerc by just 0.021 seconds. Ferrari looked strong throughout the session, with both drivers able to extract pace from their cars despite the challenging track conditions.

Leclerc had a solid session despite having to abort his first flying lap. He improved towards the end to take second place, showing that Ferrari has arrived in Austin as the team to beat. However, there is a sense that many teams might still have something in reserve ahead of the Sprint Qualifying session later today.

Verstappen's Early Pace Stands Out

Max Verstappen ended the session third, 0.253s behind Sainz, but his lap was set much earlier in the session before the track conditions improved. Verstappen looked comfortable and managed to stay ahead of the McLaren duo, despite not running his fastest laps on the fresher surface.

Red Bull showed glimpses of competitiveness, but with the tricky conditions and only one hour of practice, it remains to be seen whether they can return to their dominant form later in the weekend. Sprint Qualifying could be where we see Red Bull's true potential, but the conditions will make it tough for everyone to avoid mistakes.

Mercedes Struggles with Spinning Cars

Both Mercedes drivers found themselves in difficult situations during the session. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell each spun at different points, highlighting the issues with the rear of their cars in the windy conditions. Hamilton's spin was particularly dramatic, losing control at the notorious bump on the track, but he managed to continue without serious damage.

Russell also had a slow-speed spin at Turn 1, showing that Mercedes still has work to do to find the right balance ahead of the Sprint Qualifying. Despite these issues, Hamilton briefly slotted into second behind Verstappen earlier in the session, demonstrating the potential of the car when conditions are more stable.

McLaren Shows Promise, But Remains an Unknown

Both McLaren drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, showed promise during the session, with Piastri initially running in fourth and Norris testing new upgrades with flow-vis paint on his car. While the McLarens didn't set headline-grabbing times, they remain a potential threat for the rest of the weekend. Norris ultimately finished the session in fourth, just ahead of his teammate Piastri.

Lawson Impresses in Debut at Austin

Liam Lawson, who is filling in for Daniel Ricciardo, had an impressive opening session at Austin. The rookie managed to finish P13, just a tenth behind his teammate Yuki Tsunoda. Lawson has never driven the Circuit of The Americas before, and considering the limited track time available this weekend, his performance was a positive sign. However, Lawson is set to take a grid penalty for exceeding his power unit components, inherited from Ricciardo’s previous allocations.

Sprint Qualifying Ahead – Expect Surprises

With only one practice session to dial in their setups, teams and drivers are heading into Sprint Qualifying later today with plenty of uncertainty. The tricky conditions seen in practice could lead to surprises in the session, with flat spots, spins, and yellow flags potentially playing a significant role. Additionally, the wind is expected to continue being a factor, making the already challenging Austin track even more unpredictable.

As we head into Sprint Qualifying, Ferrari looks to be the team to beat, but as we've seen many times this season, anything can happen in Formula 1. Be sure to tune in later for what promises to be an exciting and possibly chaotic qualifying session at the United States Grand Prix.

Quickest Sector Times

The quickest sector times during FP1 were set by:

• Sector 1: 25.258 sec. by Max Verstappen with the Red Bull RB20.
• Sector 2: 37.466 sec. by Oscar Piastri with the McLaren MCL38.
• Sector 3: 30.728 sec. by Charles Leclerc with the Ferrari SF-24.

The quickest lap time of last years FP1 was a 1:35,912 min driven by Max Verstappen with the Red Bull RB19.

FP1 Times Table 2024 USA F1 GP

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