Charles Leclerc was shown the black-and-white flag during second practice for the United States Grand Prix following an on-track incident involving George Russell. The warning came as Ferrari and Mercedes continued their preparations for Saturday’s qualifying session at Circuit of The Americas.
News Summary
- Charles Leclerc was reportedly shown a black-and-white warning flag following an incident with George Russell during Austin FP2.
- The incident involved the Ferrari driver allegedly forcing the Mercedes off the racing surface.
- A black-and-white flag is a formal warning rather than an automatic grid penalty.
Charles Leclerc was reportedly given a black-and-white flag during the second free-practice session for the United States Grand Prix on Friday (October 23), following an incident involving Mercedes driver George Russell at Circuit of The Americas.
The incident is understood to have occurred while the two drivers were sharing the track during the evening session in Austin. Leclerc was accused of forcing Russell beyond the limits of the racing surface.
The precise corner, circumstances of the manoeuvre and official wording of the warning still require confirmation from the race-control record or broadcast footage.
What does the black-and-white flag mean in Formula 1?
The diagonally divided black-and-white flag is used to warn a driver about conduct that race officials consider unacceptable.
Unlike a grid-place penalty or a time penalty, the warning does not automatically change the driver’s classification.
However, further misconduct may result in additional action by race officials, depending on the circumstances and applicable sporting regulations.
Leclerc and Russell prepare for United States GP qualifying
Leclerc entered FP2 after leading the opening practice session at Austin with a lap of 1:36.052.
The Ferrari driver finished 0.084 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen, with Lando Norris third and Russell fourth.
Ferrari brought an updated aerodynamic package to the United States Grand Prix, including changes to the SF-26 floor.
The team is seeking to build on its recent improvement in performance, while Russell is aiming to recover ground in the Drivers’ Championship.
The United States Grand Prix continues with FP3 and qualifying on Saturday, October 24.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas this weekend, with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its Formula 1 section.
