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Charles Leclerc was pleased that Formula 1 was back in the United States for the first time since 2019 on Friday, with the Monegasque racer delighted to see the fans back in the grandstands in their droves.

The Scuderia Ferrari driver says the bumps around the Circuit of the Americas made it a tricky day of practice, and Leclerc says he will be looking to find a more optimal set-up ahead of Saturday’s Qualifying session.

Leclerc ended fourth fastest in the morning session on Friday but slipped to seventh in the afternoon, and on top of getting a better set-up, he knows he will need to work hard on tyre conservation, particularly with warm conditions expected to remain all weekend long.

“It feels great to be back in the United States,” said Leclerc.  “The atmosphere here is always so special, both at the circuit and around the city of Austin. Everyone is really friendly and enthusiastic and it’s been great to already see fans waving their flags and supporting us in the grandstands today.

“In terms of our sessions, we ran through the planned programme, testing a bit of everything. What was challenging were the bumps on the track which made it very tricky to drive.

Lance Stroll said he had a lot of fun on track during Friday practice for the United States Grand Prix, with the Canadian ending an encouraging sixth fastest in the afternoon session.

The Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team driver finished outside the top ten in the morning session but found a lot more pace in the afternoon, even topping the time sheets at one point before he slipped to sixth as the big guns took to the track on the soft tyres.

Stroll says it will be important to manage tyres during Sunday’s race, especially if conditions are as warm as they were on Friday, and although he expects others to improve on Saturday, he feels Aston Martin have started the weekend on the right foot.

“It was great fun out there today,” said Stroll.  “There were big crowds in the stands and I enjoy this track. It has been a positive start so far with competitive pace and we have learned a lot too.

“Managing the tyres will be crucial on Sunday because it is very easy to overheat them in these hot conditions, and we saw that today, plus it is a demanding track generally with some quick sections.

Lewis Hamilton ended only third fastest in second practice for the United States Grand Prix on Friday, with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team falling foul to track limits on more than one occasion.

Hamilton, who comes to the Circuit of the Americas six points behind title rival Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship, was edged into second place in the morning session behind his team-mate Valtteri Bottas, but he fell behind both Sergio Pérez and Lando Norris in the afternoon after having lap times deleted for exceeding track limits.

Despite this, Hamilton feels it was a good day for Mercedes, although he acknowledges there is work to do to improve the car before Saturday’s Qualifying session.

“Generally, it’s been a good day but there’s still work to do,” said Hamilton.  “The first session was really good, but I made some changes for FP2 and I wasn’t as happy with the car.

“The pace wasn’t bad, but I think we lost a bit of ground to everyone, so we need to dig into the data tonight and figure out why. The surface here feels rougher and that means it’s a struggle to keep the temperature out of the tyres, so there’s more degradation than we’ve experienced before.

Lando Norris reckoned it was a ‘decent’ Friday for both himself and his McLaren F1 Team as he ended second fastest at the Circuit of the Americas, behind only Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Pérez.

Norris ended eighth fastest in the morning session despite an early issue inside his cockpit, but he was on the pace in the afternoon session despite the track being bumpy and the wind picking up.

The Briton says McLaren still have work to do to make the car ‘a bit nicer to drive’ as he will need to have even more confidence behind the wheel of the MCL35M for Saturday afternoon’s Qualifying session.

“A decent Friday. It was warm today, and a bit tricky at times – quite bumpy and windy,” said Norris. “So not ideal in terms of driving conditions, but in terms of pace, relative to others, I think we’re in a good position.

“Tonight we’ll work to try and make it a bit nicer to drive, and a bit easier to have some confidence to push that little bit more come qualifying. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow.”

Sergio Pérez had one of his better Fridays of the 2021 Formula 1 season as he ended fastest overall at the Circuit of the Americas.

The Red Bull Racing driver ended down in seventh in the morning session as the first United States Grand Prix weekend since 2019 got underway on Friday, but the afternoon saw him improve dramatically and end the day with the best time.

Pérez feels the battle between Red Bull and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team will be close in Qualifying on Saturday, with the Mexican feeling he will need to find some time before Qualifying if he is to be a contender for pole position.

“Today was a good day and FP2 was promising, but it’s going to be very tight in qualifying tomorrow,” said Pérez.  “Mercedes were certainly very strong so let’s see what they have when it counts.

“I think we have to find a couple of tenths and put everything together to be in the mix for pole.

Logan Sargeant has become the latest member of the Williams Racing Driver Academy, with the young American looking to keep his dream of racing in Formula 1 alive by aligning himself with a team.

Sargeant had looked to be heading to the NTT IndyCar Series after a test at Barber Motorsports Park with AJ Foyt Racing was scheduled, but the test was quickly cancelled as rumours began to swell that a Formula 1 team was interested in bringing him into their young driver programme.

The twenty-year-old has subsequently been announced as a member of Williams’ young driver programme, joining the likes of Jack Aitken, Roy Nissany and Jamie Chadwick, and he will conduct simulator work as well as immersing himself into the team both at the Grove factory and trackside.

“I am delighted to be joining the Williams Racing Driver Academy,” said Sargeant.  “It’s a team with not only a fantastic history, but a great track record of bringing young talent into Formula One.

“I am really excited to begin working with the team and can’t wait to hit the ground running.”

Sergio Pérez went fastest in the second free practice session at the 2021 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin. Lando Norris was in second position and Lewis Hamilton in third position at the end of the session.

Hamilton recorded the fastest lap time of the session which was deleted as he exceeded track limits. Max Verstappen finished in eighth position as he aborted his flying lap due to traffic.

The sixty-minute long second free practice session started under hot conditions with air temperatures at 29 degrees C and track temperatures at 34 degrees C.

The track temperatures was almost ten degrees hotter than the morning session as it continued to ramp up during the session. This led to slower lap times in this session.

The Pirelli tyre choice at this race is the white-striped hard compound tyres (C2), yellow-striped medium compound tyres (C3), and red-striped soft compound tyres (C4).

Valtteri Bottas finished on top of the time charts at the 2021 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. Lewis Hamilton was in second position and Max Verstappen in third position at the end of the first free practice session.

The race returns to this circuit after two years as the 2020 race was cancelled due to the Covid19 pandemic. The championship battle between Verstappen and Hamilton is at fever pitch with six races to go and just six points separating the two drivers.

The circuit has sunk since its debut on the Formula 1 calendar in 2012 which has created bumps at different places. The impact of these bumps on the setup and performance of the cars will be watched closely all weekend.

The sixty-minute long first free practice session started under clear skies and sunny conditions with air temperatures at 28 degrees C and track temperatures at 30 degrees C.

The Pirelli tyre choice at this race is the white-striped hard compound tyres (C2), yellow-striped medium compound tyres (C3), and red-striped soft compound tyres (C4).

The United States Auto Club (USAC) has been named the sanctioning body for the three Road to Indy series operated by Andersen Promotions. On Thursday, Andersen announced USAC will become the race overseer of the USF2000 National Championship, Indy Pro 2000 Championship, and the newly formed USF Juniors. Among USAC’s new responsibilities are licensing and membership management, while IndyCar will still provide race control, timing and scoring, and medical personnel.

USAC is no stranger to IndyCar competition, being the sanctioning body for such events including the Indianapolis 500 from their formation in 1955 to 1979 when Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) took over as the main body for the highest level of American open-wheel racing. In 1990, USAC assumed sanctioning duties for the newly created USF2000 Championship.

The company also previously ran the Mini-Indy Series, which would be the precursor to Indy Lights, the second and final development tier on the Road to Indy. USAC executive Levi Jones was named director of Indy Lights earlier in October.

“We’ve come full circle and I am very pleased to be back with them and look forward to a long-term relationship,” said Andersen. “USAC Racing is widely recognized for its operation of Midgets, Sprint cars and Silver Crown cars but they are also becoming increasingly prominent in road racing with Porsche and SRO. This is a great sanctioning body and we are proud to be with them.

“I would also like to thank IndyCar, which has sanctioned the Road to Indy since its inception in 2010. IndyCar’s focus is, understandably, on series it owns and operates. We’ll continue to use their services on race weekends and look forward to our ongoing relationship as a support series where our drivers continue along their path toward the NTT IndyCar Series.”

Carson Ware has been suspended by NASCAR following his arrest on Wednesday for assault and property damage. He had been scheduled to run Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway for SS-Green Light Racing with Rick Ware Racing, though the development means Garrett Smithley will instead drive the #17 Chevrolet Camaro.

According to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, Ware was arrested on Wednesday night in Salisbury, North Carolina, at 3:12 AM on Wednesday morning. He was charged with assault of a female, simple assault, and injury to personal property. Specifics of the case were not released.

The son of RWR owner Rick Ware and younger brother of Cup Series driver Cody Ware, the 21-year-old has made four Xfinity starts in 2021 for SSGLR/RWR with a best finish of twenty-eighth at Pocono and Michigan. He also conducted one-offs at Darlington and Las Vegas for Mike Harmon Racing and Jimmy Means Racing, respectively. His series début came last year on a three-race schedule, with his best run being twentieth at Pocono.

Ware also has a Camping World Truck Series start in 2019, where he finished thirtieth at Phoenix for Reaume Brothers Racing. Off track, the primarily late model racer moonlights as a rapper under the stage name Youngboy C.

“This morning I was notified of a situation that involved Carson Ware,” said Rick Ware. “At this time, Carson has been indefinitely suspended by SS Green Light Racing and NASCAR. While I am frustrated by the actions of Carson, I am even more disappointed for Bobby Dotter and his entire team. Bobby has been a great ally through the years, and I hate to see SS Green Light Racing under scrutiny due to actions that do not reflect the reputation and image that Bobby has worked hard to uphold over the years. My hope is that Carson will get the help that he needs during this difficult time.”

Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda will be hoping to take their strong performance from the Turkish Grand Prix, into this weekends American Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

Pierre Gasly had an excellent race in Turkey, the Frenchman was able to run a similar pace to all of the top teams in the championship, resulting in an excellent points finish. COTA hasn’t been the best track for Gasly in the past, his best finish at the circuit came in the form of tenth place in 2019, which due to the Coronavirus pandemic was the last time Formula One visited Austin.

Gasly is a big fan of the track and how it feels to drive, however is aware that this weekend may not be completely plain-sailing due to the horrendous track surface.

“I’ve not yet had any great races in Austin, the best I did was 10th the last time we were there. In terms of driving, the track is really exciting, very fast and I particularly like the first sector which resembles Suzuka a bit. After that, the second sector is a bit slower and more technical. Overall, it’s very interesting, although I think it could be quite complicated this weekend.

“Having watched MotoGP a few weeks back, the bumps which were already pretty bad last time we raced there, seem even more severe now. It will require some sort of compromise on set-up, but we won’t really know until we get there. I’m not particularly worried about it, because our car is working well everywhere at the moment and we just have to avoid any problems waiting to ambush us, so that we can continue to close in on Alpine in the championship.”

The Mclaren F1 Team are looking to bounce back strongly at this weekends American Grand Prix at one of the drivers favourite circuits, the Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

Lando Norris had yet another points finish last time out at the Turkish Grand Prix, however it was one of the more challenging weekends of the season for him and the team. The British driver will be looking to finish within the top five this weekend to apply the pressure on Valtteri Bottas for third in the drivers’ standings.

Norris is excited to be heading back to America, especially as the pandemic prevented an American Grand Prix from happening in 2020.

“I can’t wait to be back in America this weekend, where we’ll be aiming to bounce back from the result in Turkey. Austin is known for its great atmosphere and I’m sure it’ll be the same again this year with the fans being super passionate. The fight is still on in the Constructors’ Championship, so we need to keep pushing.

“COTA is one of the most exciting circuits on the calendar. Even though the track has elements of other F1 tracks, it still feels like a unique place to race. I took part in a virtual race around COTA last year with the Arrow McLaren SP team during the pandemic, which was a lot of fun, but I can’t wait to be racing there for real in an F1 car after two years. Hopefully it’ll be a good weekend for us.”

After a year away, Parker Kligerman is back in the NASCAR Cup Series. On Wednesday, Gaunt Brothers Racing announced Kligerman will return to the #96 Toyota Camry for Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway. It will be his first start at the top level of stock car racing since 2019.

Kligerman has twenty-eight career Cup starts since 2013. In 2018 and 2019, he ran a part-time schedule for GBR, during which he notched a pair of top-twenty finished in the 2019 Daytona 500 and Talladega fall races (both fifteenth). Despite running fourteen races with the team in 2019, he did not return for 2020 as GBR signed Daniel Suárez for their first—and only, to date—full-time campaign.

Much of Kligerman’s NASCAR competition in recent times has come in the Camping World Truck Series. Although he has not run full-time since 2012, a year that saw him finish fifth in points, he has raced on a part-time scale with two wins at Talladega in 2012 and 2017. The latter came with Henderson Motorsports, with whom he has scored fifteen top tens, five top fives, and the victory in thirty-six tries since 2017. In 2021, he has run ten races for Henderson with four top tens and a pair of fifths at Watkins Glen and Darlington. Fast Checkout, a Truck sponsor, will appear on his Cup car.

When he is not racing, Kligerman works as an analyst for NBC Sports’ NASCAR coverage. In addition to his driving duties with GBR, the team said he will provide in-car updates during the Kansas race.

After the lone full schedule with Suárez, GBR has returned to a limited slate in 2021. Following a DNQ at the Daytona 500, Ty Dillon ran four races for the team with a best finish of nineteenth on the Daytona Road Course. Harrison Burton placed twentieth in the Talladega spring race in his maiden Cup start, while Landon Cassill finished thirty-sixth (Daytona fall) and twenty-fourth (Talladega fall) in his two starts.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing‘s expanded three-car lineup is now complete, with Formula 2 standout Christian Lundgaard joining the team full-time for 2022. He will drive the No. 30 car, replacing veteran Takuma Sato.

The 20-year-old Dane dazzled in his IndyCar debut last season, qualifying fourth and finishing twelfth at the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix in August on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Now he joins back up with RLLR on a multi-year deal to race the full 17-race schedule next year.

“I was very much open minded when I raced at Indianapolis in August and the experience then only grew my hunger to give it another go, so to have the opportunity as a full-time professional racing driver is a privilege,” Lundgaard said.

“Of course, this will be a completely new challenge for me, especially with oval racing, which I’ve never done before. I’d like to think I’m a fast learner, so taking this on is going to be an awesome experience. For now, I’m not setting too many expectations other than working hard and enjoying the racing and hopefully the results will follow.”

Team co-owner Bobby Rahal, like most fans, was stunned by Lundgaard’s performance in Indianapolis, compounded further by the fact that Lundgaard was not at his best during the race.

Kimi Räikkönen has fond memories of racing at the Circuit of the Americas after taking his final Formula 1 race victory there in 2018, but once behind the wheel of the car, he knows these memories count for nothing.

The Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN driver took a superb and well-received victory in the United States of America three years ago whilst racing for Scuderia Ferrari, but he knows this weekend will be all about fighting for points rather than the win.

Räikkönen has only scored points on three occasions in 2021, and he knows Alfa Romeo will need to start the weekend on the front foot if they are to add to their points tally this weekend as they bid to deny Williams Racing eighth place in the Constructors’ Championship.

“I have some good memories of COTA: of course, it was the place where I scored my last win so it’s a nice thing to look back to, but once I get into the car that doesn’t matter,” said Räikkönen.  “We know we have to do everything well if we want to come away with something from the race, and that starts on Friday.

“We had two races in which the conditions were changing and we had to react to them, now let’s see what the weekend in America has to offer and where we end up.”