Leclerc tops times for Ferrari in opening practice for US Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc clocked a best lap time of 1min and 36.052sec to beat Max Verstappen, winner of the last two races, by 0.084sec.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc led the times in the first practice session for the United States Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen from Red Bull, while Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli finished fifth. If Antonelli wins his race and other drivers cannot close the points gap, he could secure the drivers' title. Leclerc set the best lap time of 1:36.052 seconds, narrowly beating Verstappen by 0.084 seconds, with Lando Norris in third place for McLaren.
George Russell, who trails Antonelli by 102 points, came in fourth for Mercedes, followed by Leclerc in fifth for Ferrari. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top six for Ferrari in sixth. The session began with a large crowd and teams displaying their final upgrade packages, but the focus was on Antonelli's title aspirations.
He needs a win in his next three races, while Russell and Hamilton must perform below eighth and fourth respectively to help him clinch the championship and become Italy's first champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
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- Leclerc tops times for Ferrari in opening practice for US Grand Prix freemalaysiatoday.com
