Charles Leclerc topped both Friday sessions at Circuit of The Americas, but Ferrari aren't celebrating yet. The Scuderia rolled out upgrades to the floor, sidepod inlet and diffuser—changes Lewis Hamilton pegged at half a tenth before the weekend even started. Leclerc's margins over Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli were razor-thin, 0.084s and 0.042s, and the Monegasque made it clear the competition has more in the tank. "We shouldn't carry too high expectations," he said, singling out Verstappen and Antonelli as the threats. Ferrari haven't won since Silverstone nine rounds ago, and team boss Fred Vasseur echoed the caution, counting five or six cars in the pole fight. The upgrades help, but they're not the step change some expected. Saturday qualifying in Austin will tell whether Ferrari's conservative read is realistic or just sandbagging. If Verstappen and the rookie dial it in overnight, Leclerc's Friday speed becomes a footnote.
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