Friday’s FP1 session at COTA kicked off the United States Grand Prix weekend with a flurry of activity and performance hints for what lies ahead. According to the official classification on Formula 1’s site, here’s how the pecking order looked in the first 60-minute run.
Top Performers & Patterns
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Lando Norris paced the session, putting McLaren on top early and showing strong one-lap speed.
- Nico Hulkenberg was the surprise feature in FP1 finishing second behind Norri.
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Oscar Piastri, the championship leader, was close behind — indicating McLaren’s strength carries through under practice conditions as well.
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Max Verstappen also appeared in the mix, not far off the top references, reminding everyone Red Bull remains a threat across the weekend.
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George Russell made a solid showing; Mercedes continue battling for traction and qualifying edge.
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The rest of the field displayed a mix of long runs, short runs, and exploratory setup work — adjusting cooling, tire behavior, aero balance, and fuel loads to get a feel for evolving track conditions.
A few qualitative takeaways:
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Track & conditions: COTA is known for its evolving surface and temperature swings, so what was fast early may not stay fast later in the weekend.
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Data gathering: Many teams used FP1 to test variables (e.g. aero tweaks, downforce levels, tire compounds) rather than purely chasing lap times.
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Margin compression: The gaps between the top five or six were tighter than expected, indicating that sprint grid order could be hotly contested.
Because FP1 is the only practice session before Sprint Qualifying this weekend, the stakes are high. Teams that glean the right balance or identify a setup advantage early may carry it forward into the shootout.
Sprint Qualifying Prediction — What to Expect
Using the FP1 results as a guide, plus known team behaviors, here’s how I see Sprint Qualifying working out this afternoon:
Likely Pole Contenders
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Lando Norris — He’s got the fastest FP1 time, and McLaren tends to dial in qualifying trim well. He’s my pick to take Sprint Pole.
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Oscar Piastri — He’ll push hard to challenge Norris. If McLaren finds marginal gains, Piastri could narrowly edge ahead or be right beside him.
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Max Verstappen — Always dangerous. If Red Bull hits the sweet spot with tyre warm-up and wing settings, he will disrupt the front row.
Dark Horse & Surprise Threats
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George Russell — Mercedes has made strides; Russell might sneak into the top three or four if conditions favor his car’s strengths.
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Lewish Hamilton / Ferrari — If Ferrari tunes their qualifying pace, Hamilton could break into the mix, especially in a shorter sprint format where single-lap performance matters.
Predicted Top 5 Sprint Qualifying Order
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Lando Norris
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Oscar Piastri
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Max Verstappen
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George Russell
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Lewis Hamilton
My reasoning: Norris leads FP1, McLaren has shown consistency, and their setup looks optimized for qualifying. Piastri is a close contender. Verstappen is never to be discounted. Russell and Hamilton round out the potential front runners based on car performance and qualifying history.
Of course, strategy, weather, and errors will play a role. But given what we saw in FP1, this feels like a realistic and competitive grid.
Friday’s FP1 session at COTA kicked off the United States Grand Prix weekend with a flurry of activity and performance hints for what lies ahead. According to the official classification on Formula 1’s site, here’s how the pecking order looked in the first 60-minute run.
