Mercedes Dominates, Championship Contenders Struggle at Las Vegas GP Practice Sessions

FP1: Mercedes Secures 1-2 Finish in Opening Session

As the sun set and the glittering lights of Las Vegas illuminated the track, FP1 kicked off at 6:30 PM local time. Drivers quickly adapted to cooler weather and the low-grip track surface, resulting in frequent slips and oversteers. Championship contenders Max Verstappen and Lando Norris faced their own struggles, both running wide at Turn 14.

Despite initial challenges, Lewis Hamilton set the pace after the first 30 minutes, followed closely by teammate George Russell and Norris. When teams switched to soft tires, Norris surged ahead with a lap time of 1:35.954, besting Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, while Verstappen languished in sixth. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly also experienced technical issues, the latter struggling with steering wheel connectivity.

Mercedes was late to deploy the soft tires but reclaimed dominance as Russell improved twice consecutively, clocking a 1:35.397. However, Hamilton outshone all with an impressive 1:35.001, securing P1 with a 0.4-second gap to rivals.

FP1 Top 10 Results:

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 1:35.001
2. George Russell (Mercedes)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
8. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
10. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

Lower down, Kevin Magnussen impressed for Haas in P11, while Nico Hulkenberg finished 15th. Notably, Valtteri Bottas, penalized with a five-place grid drop for exceeding energy storage limits, placed 16th. Yuki Tsunoda ended the session in last after travel delays hampered his preparation.

FP2: Hamilton Takes Back-to-Back P1 Finishes

Lewis Hamilton completed a dominant Thursday by topping FP2 at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, edging out Lando Norris and George Russell. Verstappen’s lackluster performance continued, finishing 17th in a session plagued by poor grip and traffic.

Hamilton delivered a stellar 1:33.825 on soft tires, narrowly beating Norris by 0.011 seconds and Russell by 0.19 seconds, demonstrating Mercedes’ consistency under the neon-lit track. His time was posted just before a red flag was triggered by Alexander Albon’s Williams, which suffered a fuel system failure.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc claimed fourth and fifth positions, while Gasly’s P6 highlighted a solid outing for Alpine. Haas impressed again, with Magnussen and Hulkenberg placing seventh and ninth, split by Piastri. Tsunoda climbed to 10th after a difficult FP1.

FP2 Top 10 Results:

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 1:33.825
2. Lando Norris (McLaren)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
6. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
7. Kevin Magnussen (has)
8. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
10. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)

Verstappen’s struggles persisted, citing a lack of grip and limited laps on soft tires due to the red flag. Sergio Perez’s session was equally disappointing, ending 19th after battling similar car issues. Williams rounded off the field, with Franco Colapinto 18th and Albon 20th after technical failures.