2016 F1 Round 18 United States GP FP1, Hamilton Leads as Two Stand-In Drivers Run

The United States Grand Prix weekend began at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin. Hamilton led FP1 with a 1:37.428 to put Mercedes on top on Friday morning.

Archive image of the Circuit of The Americas layout for the 2016 United States Grand Prix

Rosberg was second and Verstappen third. Hamilton and Rosberg occupied the top two positions on soft tyres, while Verstappen took third on mediums. The track gradually improved after a dusty start.

Two stand-in drivers took part in the session. Alfonso Celis drove for Force India in place of Pérez, while Jordan King represented Manor in place of Wehrlein.

Hamilton was around three-tenths of a second faster than his team-mate. The Circuit of The Americas combines sequences of corners with long straights, requiring a balance between downforce and straight-line speed as the drivers searched for braking points at several corners.

Verstappen was third and Räikkönen fourth, followed by Hülkenberg in fifth and Bottas sixth. Ricciardo was seventh and Vettel eighth, putting both Red Bulls and both Ferraris in the top ten.

Debris struck Vettel’s car and damaged its right-hand mirror. A brief Virtual Safety Car period was used while the track was cleared. Kvyat and Palmer both spun at Turn 18, while the two Haas cars stopped near the pit exit one after the other late in the session.

Teams used the session to compare tyre options. Grip gradually improved as the cars circulated, making it easier for drivers heading out later to improve their lap times.

Hamilton ended FP1 at the head of the field as Mercedes made a strong start. With the stand-in drivers’ practice duties complete, the teams would turn their attention back to preparing their regular drivers for FP2.