Ferrari cemented its status as the team to beat at the 2026 United States Grand Prix by sweeping all three practice sessions at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, heading into Saturday's qualifying. The 41-year-old Ferrari driver topped the final practice session with a lap of 1:34.893 — the quickest of the entire weekend — edging Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.168 seconds. His teammate Charles Leclerc, who had led both Friday sessions, completed the top three, 0.234 seconds back.

The session was marked by a string of deleted lap times due to track-limit violations at Turn 9 — a recurring theme throughout the weekend after a record 128 laps were scrubbed in Friday's second practice alone. Leclerc himself had a quicker time erased for crossing the white line, while Verstappen also lost a late effort after the rear of his Red Bull snapped under heavy load.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who could theoretically clinch the title at Austin under specific conditions, finished fourth for Mercedes — roughly three tenths off Ferrari's pace — while his teammate George Russell was fifth. Antonelli would need to win Sunday's race and rely on specific results elsewhere to secure the crown this weekend, a combination that appeared challenging given Ferrari's dominant practice form.

Ferrari enters qualifying hunting its first pole position of the entire 2026 season — a remarkable drought given the team has won twice this year, at the Spanish and British Grands Prix. The margins suggest Red Bull and Mercedes remain capable of disrupting the Italian team's perfect weekend, but the Ferrari cars appeared more settled at COTA than at any previous venue this season.