Mercedes recovered from a difficult opening practice session at the 2026 United States Grand Prix to put Kimi Antonelli within just 0.042 seconds of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in FP2. The Italian finished second in Friday’s afternoon session at the Circuit of the Americas, offering encouraging evidence that Mercedes is beginning to unlock the potential of its latest W17 upgrades. However, the team remains cautious, with deputy team principal Bradley Lord warning that the car’s operating window is still extremely narrow.
For Kimi Antonelli, the most encouraging aspect of Friday was not simply the position on the timesheets, but the progress Mercedes made between the two sessions. After struggling with balance problems during FP1, changes to the W17’s set-up helped restore competitiveness and allowed the Italian to return to the leading positions. The result also underlined how closely matched the front of the field has become, with Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren separated by small margins in the battle for performance.
Mercedes W17 upgrades show encouraging signs in Austin FP2
Friday’s improvement was particularly significant given the technical challenges Mercedes has faced with its recent developments. After adopting different approaches at previous races, Kimi Antonelli and George Russell began the Austin weekend with the same aerodynamic specification.
Both cars were equipped with the upgrade package introduced in Malaysia, together with the new front wing that had appeared during FP1 in Singapore. Bradley Lord confirmed that Mercedes intends to retain the revised front wing throughout the United States Grand Prix weekend.
The decision provided an opportunity to assess the complete package on both cars, rather than continue comparing different aerodynamic configurations. However, the opening session demonstrated that extracting the expected performance remained far from straightforward.
Andrew Shovlin explains Mercedes’ difficult FP1 and major improvement
Mercedes endured a challenging morning at the Circuit of the Americas. Both drivers struggled particularly in slower corners, with frequent brake lock-ups affecting their single-lap performance and longer race simulations.
The team had deliberately explored a relatively wide range of set-ups to understand the upgraded W17, but the initial findings were disappointing. Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, acknowledged that the car had not performed as expected.
“We didn’t have a good first session,” Andrew Shovlin admitted. “We wanted to explore a wider range of set-ups with the upgrades fitted to both cars, but we suffered quite badly with brake lock-ups. That was a significant limitation both over a single lap and during the long runs.”
Mercedes responded by changing the configuration of both cars ahead of the afternoon session. Those adjustments produced an immediate improvement in balance and predictability, allowing the drivers to push with greater confidence.
“For the afternoon session, we changed the configuration of the cars, and that seems to have put us in a better position. We had fewer balance problems, the car was more predictable, and the lap times improved as a result,” Andrew Shovlin explained.
The progress was reflected in the FP2 classification, where Kimi Antonelli climbed to second place, only 0.042 seconds behind Charles Leclerc’s benchmark of 1:35.291.
Bradley Lord warns Mercedes W17 still has a narrow operating window
Despite the improvement, Mercedes does not believe it has completely resolved the difficulties associated with the upgraded W17. Bradley Lord explained that the car continues to operate within a relatively narrow performance window, making the choice of set-up particularly important.
“I’m not sure the window has become any wider,” Bradley Lord explained. “It took us a while to find the right solution. We were struggling quite badly in FP1, whereas in FP2 we found a much better direction.”
“We know the operating window is narrow, and our job is to hit it, a bit like trying to thread a needle.”
That assessment explains why Mercedes remains cautious about its overall potential. When the W17 operates in the ideal conditions, it can be extremely competitive, but producing that performance consistently remains one of the principal challenges facing its engineers.
The problem is particularly relevant during a Grand Prix weekend, when changing track temperatures, tyre conditions and fuel loads can all influence the balance of the car. A configuration that works well in one set of conditions may not necessarily provide the same confidence throughout the weekend.
Kimi Antonelli closes on Charles Leclerc with strong Austin FP2 lap
Kimi Antonelli appeared significantly more comfortable with the Mercedes during second practice, completing a competitive flying lap that brought him within a fraction of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari.
The Italian’s performance was also notable for his approach to the final two corners. During his fastest attempt, Kimi Antonelli did not appear particularly aggressive through Turns 19 and 20, where the risk of exceeding track limits is especially high.
That relatively measured approach may have left a small amount of lap time available, although it is impossible to establish how much more performance could have been extracted. Nevertheless, finishing so close to the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, which topped Austin FP2, offered further encouragement for Mercedes.
Max Verstappen also remained in contention with Red Bull, reinforcing the impression that several teams could challenge for the leading positions as the weekend develops.
Why Ferrari and Red Bull have an advantage in Austin’s final sector
Bradley Lord also discussed Mercedes’ performance in the third sector of the Circuit of the Americas, where Ferrari and Red Bull appeared slightly more competitive during Friday’s running.
One of the most important factors is managing the rear tyres through the slower, more technical section of the circuit. Drivers must preserve sufficient grip to maintain performance through the final corner rather than overworking the tyres earlier in the sequence.
“You have to keep the rear tyres in good condition through the twisty section so that you still have performance available in the final corner,” Bradley Lord explained.
However, rear-tyre management is not the only consideration. The differences between the leading teams also involve how they distribute electrical energy throughout the lap, particularly through Austin’s longer corners and straights.
“Part of it is also about energy management. Other teams release a little more energy through the long right-hand corner, whereas perhaps we use more of it on the straights.”
Mercedes must therefore balance aerodynamic performance, mechanical grip and power-unit energy deployment to extract the maximum from the W17 without placing excessive demands on the rear tyres.
“In general, you have to find a set-up that allows the car to rotate without putting too much stress on the rear tyres or having to overuse the throttle,” Bradley Lord concluded.
Friday’s recovery has given Mercedes a more promising foundation for the remainder of the United States Grand Prix weekend. Kimi Antonelli has demonstrated that the upgraded W17 possesses the speed to challenge Ferrari near the top of the timesheets, but the team must now establish whether it can consistently operate within the car’s narrow performance window as attention turns towards qualifying and the race.
Leave a Reply