Leclerc tops Austin practice, Antonelli chases F1 title

Friday practice times

Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in the second one-hour practice session on Friday, 23 October, with 1:35.291, according to ANSA. Kimi Antonelli was second in 1:35.333, Max Verstappen third in 1:35.400 and Lewis Hamilton fourth in 1:35.906. SRF and Mediafax put Antonelli's gap to Leclerc at 0.042 seconds, while Il Giornale gives 43 thousandths. Il Giornale described a Friday without incidents, with the leading cars separated by very small margins. In the first session, ANSA reported Leclerc fastest at 1:36.052, with Verstappen, Norris, Russell, Antonelli and Hamilton trailing by 0.084, 0.245, 0.326, 0.481 and 0.503 seconds.

Antonelli's path to the title

Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, is 20 years old, and SRF reports he could become the youngest F1 champion. Il Giornale adds that he could be the first Italian world champion in 73 years, since Alberto Ascari. To take the title on Sunday, 25 October, Antonelli must win the race and see other results fall his way. According to SRF, George Russell must not finish above ninth and Lewis Hamilton must not finish above fifth. Mediafax, citing BBC, sets the same limits as finishing outside the top eight for Russell and outside the top four for Hamilton. Antonelli has repeatedly said of the prospect:

It's crazy, and that's why I won't think about it.

Mindset and pressure

Fanpage interviewed sports psychologist Riccardo Pazzona, who teaches sport psychology at the University of Cagliari. Pazzona said pressure is present and cannot be denied, and that what matters is the relationship an athlete builds with it. The interview frames Antonelli's line that he just wants to enjoy the weekend as strategy rather than avoidance. Pazzona put the choice this way:

You can read it as a threat, or you can recognise it as a signal.

Pazzona said that keeping attention on the task gives the best chance of success, even though certainty never exists. Fanpage also recalled that a year earlier Antonelli had said pressure had destroyed him and that he feared letting down Toto Wolff.

Upgrades and rivals' pace

Mercedes brought a new front-wing option to Austin, adding to a package introduced in Malaysia two races earlier, SAPO reports. Antonelli said the new package was working and that the team was starting to see the benefits. Ferrari brought floor updates to Austin, and Leclerc described them as a small step forward whose effect was smaller than he had expected, according to Mediafax. In race simulations, Verstappen was slightly quicker than Leclerc on average per lap, though a direct comparison was possible only with the Ferrari drivers, who used soft tyres. Norris posted the best simulation pace, about 0.2 seconds per lap quicker than Verstappen, but he ran hard tyres and ended practice seventh after an error at turn 16. Il Giornale also reports that Russell was under investigation after a clash with Leclerc during practice.

Qualifying and race schedule

SRF lists qualifying for Saturday, 24 October, at 22:55, and the race for Sunday, 25 October, at 20:20. Il Giornale gives the qualifying start as 23:00 on Saturday and says Sky holds exclusive live rights in Italy. Verstappen won the last two races of the season, according to Il Giornale, and Leclerc topped both practice sessions.