United States Grand Prix F1 Practice 1: Norris Paces Unexpected COTA Session

Lando Norris surprised the grid by topping the first practice session at the Circuit of the Americas, with Nico Hulkenberg delivering an even bigger shock by slotting into second. This opening session for the United States Grand Prix served up some unexpected results, hinting at a potentially thrilling weekend.

Why it matters:

This initial practice session offers the first glimpse into team and driver performance at COTA. While practice results are often taken with a grain of salt, the surprising pace of McLaren and, more notably, Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg suggests that the established pecking order might face a shake-up this weekend. It also provides crucial data for teams to fine-tune their setups for qualifying and the race.

The Details:

• Lando Norris set the pace for McLaren with a time of 1m33.294s, demonstrating strong form early in the weekend. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, also showed good pace, securing third position.
• Nico Hulkenberg of Sauber was the session's biggest surprise, finishing a mere 0.255s behind Norris. This strong showing could indicate a breakthrough for Sauber or a particularly effective setup for Hulkenberg at COTA.
• Max Verstappen in the Red Bull was only P5, 0.354s off Norris's time, suggesting Red Bull might have more to unlock or were running a different program focused on race simulation.
• Other notable performances included Fernando Alonso in P4 for Aston Martin and Alex Albon in P6 for Williams, both demonstrating solid initial pace.
• Mercedes' George Russell and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton were P7 and P8 respectively, indicating they still have work to do to challenge the top spots.
• The session also featured several reserve and junior drivers, including Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), Ollie Bearman (Haas), Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber), Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), and Franco Colapinto (Alpine), gaining valuable F1 experience.

What's next:

Teams will now analyze the data from FP1 to make adjustments for the upcoming practice sessions. The key will be to understand the tire degradation, car balance, and how different fuel loads and engine modes affect performance. Expect the front-runners like Red Bull and Ferrari to show their true pace in FP2 and FP3 as they prepare for qualifying. Hulkenberg's performance will be closely watched to see if Sauber can maintain this unexpected competitiveness through the weekend.

By the numbers:

• 1m33.294s: Lando Norris's fastest lap time.
• 0.255s: The gap between Norris and second-place Nico Hulkenberg, highlighting the Sauber driver's impressive run.
• 0.354s: The gap between Norris and championship leader Max Verstappen, suggesting a competitive weekend ahead.